Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning
by Master of The Wild Card
Summary: A high school student is contacted by a goddess and transported to the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe, bestowing upon him the Power of The Fool to aid the Signers in defeating the Dark Signers. Though a larger threat seems to be lurking in the shadows... Rated M for mild bloodiness.
1. Deck Profile 1

_**Alright guys, here's yet ANOTHER story for you in place of Light & Dark. This one will be a Yu Gi Oh fic, in case you didn't read the title, duh. I'll be taking a break from Light & Dark for a while since I have a MUCH better idea of what to do with this one.**_

_**Anyways, it features an SI made by me and an OC Deck archetype. Here's a brief bio for the protagonist.**_

_**Name – Drew Ashford**_

_**Age – 18**_

_**Height – 5'7"**_

_**Hair color/style – Same as Minato Arisato from Persona 3, except black. **_

_**Eye color – Light blue.**_

_**Build – Athletic**_

_**Personality – A calm, collected, and intelligent individual who often becomes more serious during Duels. When Dueling, he makes a careful analysis of the situation and tries to come up with the best solution. Drew also makes it a point to help out those he considers a friend.**_

_**Welp, I guess that's it. So for now, enjoy the story, folks! And this will be the first Deck profile for my SI.**_

**MONSTERS:**

_**Magician Soul**_

_**LV 4**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

Effect – This card cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of an "Ultimate Magician Persona" Synchro Monster.

_**Priestess Soul**_

_**LV 4**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

Effect – This card cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of an "Ultimate Priestess Persona" Synchro Monster.

_**Emperor Soul**_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

Effect – This card cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of an "Ultimate Emperor Persona" Synchro Monster.

_**Lovers Soul**_

_**LV 2**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

Effect – This card cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of an "Ultimate Lovers Persona" Synchro Monster.

_**Chariot Soul**_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

Effect – This card cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of an "Ultimate Chariot Persona" Synchro Monster.

_**Fortune Soul**_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

Effect – This card cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Persona of Fortune" or "Ultimate Fortune Persona" Synchro Monster.

_**Star Soul**_

_**LV 2**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

Effect – This card cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of an "Ultimate Star Persona" Synchro Monster.

_**Persona of The Empress – Penthesilea**_

_**LV 3**_

_**WATER**_

_**Psychic**_

_**ATK 600 / DEF 1000**_

_**Advanced Empress Persona – Artemisia**_

_**LV 7**_

_**WATER**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 2200 / DEF 2300**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Empress – Penthesilea" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". Once per turn, you may select 1 Spell/Trap card on the Field; the controller of that card may not activate it for 3 turns.

_**Persona of The Emperor – Polydeuces **_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1000 / DEF 1200**_

Effect – You may activate up to 2 of the following effects once per turn.

● Special Summon 1 "Persona" or "Soul" Monster from your hand.

● Change the level of 1 Monster on your side of the field (MAX. 12).

● Inflict 400 damage to your opponent.

_**Advanced Emperor Persona – Caesar**_

_**LV 5**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1300 / DEF 900**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Emperor – Polydeuces" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". Once per turn while this card is face-up on your side of the field: You can Special Summon 1 "Persona" Monster from your hand with its Level reduced by 1. Monsters Summoned this way have their effects negated until the End Phase of the turn they were Summoned.

_**Persona of The Emperor – Take-Mikazuchi**_

_**LV 5**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic**_

_**ATK 1900 / DEF 2000**_

_**Advanced Emperor Persona – Rokuten Maoh**_

_**LV 7**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 2200 / DEF 2400**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Emperor – Take-Mikazuchi" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". During the Battle Phase: Activate one of the following effects depending on the Battle Position of this card;

● Attack Position: Increase the ATK of this card by 600.

● Defense Position: Increase the DEF of this card by 600.

_**Persona of The Star – Kintoki Douji**_

_**LV 3**_

_**WATER**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 600 / DEF 600**_

Effect – Once per turn: Flip a coin; If heads, you gain 1000 Life Points. If tails, you take 1000 damage.

_**Advanced Star Persona – Kamui**_

_**LV 5**_

_**WATER**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 2200 / DEF 2200**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Star – Kintoki Douji" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". You can negate the attack of one 1 Monster during each Battle Phase.

_**Persona of The Lovers – Io**_

_**LV 3**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1000 / DEF 1300**_

Effect – Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 "Persona" Monster from your Graveyard.

_**Advanced Lovers Persona – Isis**_

_**LV 6**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1900 / DEF 2300**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Lovers – Himiko" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". This card cannot be destroyed by Battle with a WIND Monster and you take no Battle Damage from Battles involving a WIND Monster.

_**Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe **_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 600 / DEF 0**_

Effect – This card can attack your opponent directly.

_**Advanced Chariot Persona – Suzuka Gongen**_

_**LV 6**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 2000 / DEF 2000**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". When this card battles a Defense Position Monster: Inflict Piercing Battle Damage to your opponent.

_**Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya**_

_**LV 3**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 700 / DEF 1200**_

Effect – If your opponent controls a Monster(s) and you control no Monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in face-up Defense Position.

_**Advanced Priestess Persona – Amaterasu**_

_**LV 5**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1900 / DEF 1600**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". Once per turn: You can banish 1 card in your Graveyard; gain 400 Life Points times the number of cards in your hand.

_**Persona of The Magician – Jiraiya**_

_**LV 1**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic**_

_**ATK 200 / DEF 200**_

_**Advanced Magician Persona – Susano-O**_

_**LV 4**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1000 / DEF 900**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Magician – Jiraiya" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". Once per turn: you may negate the activation of an effect that would increase the ATK or DEF of an opponent's Monster.

_**Persona of the Lovers – Himiko**_

_**LV 5**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic**_

_**ATK 1700 / DEF 2000**_

_**Advanced Lovers Persona – Kanzeon**_

_**LV 7**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 2000 / DEF 2300**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of The Lovers – Himiko" with the effect of "Power of The Heart".

This card cannot be destroyed by Battle once per turn.

_**Persona of Fortune – Sukuna Hikona**_

_**LV 1**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic**_

_**ATK 100 / DEF 100**_

_**Advanced Fortune Persona – Yamato-Takeru**_

_**LV 4**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1500 / DEF 1500**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of Fortune – Sukuna Hikona" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". Once per turn: Flip a coin and activate the appropriate effect:

● Heads: Banish the top card of your Deck.

● Tails: Special Summon 1 "Persona" Monster from your Graveyard.

_**Persona of Justice – Nemesis**_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 550 / DEF 700**_

Effect – This card can only be destroyed by Battle with a DARK Monster.

_**Advanced Justice Persona – Kala Nemi**_

_**LV 6**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 2100 / DEF 1800**_

Effect – This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Releasing "Persona of Justice – Nemesis" with the effect of "Power of The Heart". This card can only be destroyed by Battle with a DARK Monster.

**SPELLS:**

_**Power of The Heart**_

_**Normal Spell Card**_

Release 1 "Persona" Monster: Special Summon 1 "Advanced Persona" Monster from your hand or Deck that lists the Released Monster's name in its text in face-up Attack Position. By returning one card from your hand to the Deck: You can add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.

_**Midnight Channel**_

_**Field Spell Card**_

"Persona" Monsters gain 500 ATK and DEF while this card remains on the field. When your opponent Summons a Monster: Special Summon 1 "Shadow Token" (LV?, DARK, Fiend-Type, ATK ? / DEF ?) to your field in the same Battle Position as the Summoned Monster. This Token's name, Level, ATK, and DEF are the same as the Summoned Monster's and cannot be Released for an Advance Summon.

_**Fierce Sutra**_

_**Equip Spell Card**_

Once per turn: You can increase the ATK of the equipped Monster by 500 until the End Phase.

_**Protection Sutra**_

_**Equip Spell Card**_

Once per turn: You can increase the DEF of the equipped Monster by 600 until the End Phase.

_**Agility Sutra**_

_**Equip Spell Card**_

Activate this card's effect when your opponent declares an attack on the equipped Monster: The equipped Monster cannot be selected as an attack target while this card is equipped to it. If the equipped Monster would be destroyed: You can destroy this card instead.

_**Cadenza**_

_**Normal Spell Card**_

Negate the attack of 1 Monster your opponent controls and gain 1000 Life Points.

_**Persona Skill: Regenerate**_

_**Continuous Spell Card**_

Once per turn while this card is face-up on the field: Gain 600 Life Points.

_**Magic Skill Up**_

_**Continuous Spell Card**_

Any effect damage inflicted on your opponent is doubled while this card remains face-up on the Field.

_**Persona Skill: Meltdown**_

_**Normal Spell Card**_

Inflict 800 damage to your opponent while you control a FIRE Attribute Monster.

_**Persona Skill: Divine Wind**_

_**Normal Spell Card**_

Inflict 800 damage to your opponent while you control a WIND Attribute Monster.

_**Persona Skill: Cocytus Pain**_

_**Normal Spell Card**_

Inflict 800 damage to your opponent while you control a WATER Attribute Monster.

_**Persona Skill: Narukami**_

_**Normal Spell Card**_

Inflict 800 damage to your opponent while you control a LIGHT or EARTH Attribute Monster.

_**Persona Skill: Swift Strike**_

_**Normal Spell Card**_

If you successfully destroy an opponent's Monster in battle: The Monster that attacked can attack a second time.

_**TRAPS:**_

_**Persona Skill: Makajam**_

_**Continuous Trap Card**_

When your opponent Summons a Monster by any means: Its' ATK and DEF are halved for as long as it remains on the field. The Summoned Monster cannot attack or activate its effects for 1 turn after this card's activation.

_**Persona Skill: Salvation**_

_**Counter Trap Card**_

When an opponent's Monster attacks: You can negate the attack and end the Battle Phase. You can then raise your Life Points to 3500 (if they are below this amount).

_**Persona Skill: Recarm**_

_**Normal Trap Card**_

When you successfully Normal Summon a Monster during your turn: You can Special Summon 1 Monster with "Persona" or "Soul" in its name from your Graveyard in face-up Attack Position.

_**Persona Skill: Counter**_

_**Counter Trap Card**_

You can activate this card from your hand by paying 1000 Life Points. If your opponent activates an effect that would remove a card(s) you control from the field: Negate the effect and destroy that card. You can then add 1 "Persona Skill: Counterstrike" from your Deck to your hand.

_**Persona Skill: Samsara**_

_**Normal Trap Card**_

Activate during the Battle Phase: When a LIGHT Monster attacks or is attacked, discard a card and select that Monster; the following effects trigger depending on who controls the selected Monster:

● If the selected Monster is controlled by you; it gains 500 ATK if it is attacking. If it is being attacked, you may banish it and negate the attack. Special Summon it during the End Phase

● If the selected Monster is controlled by your opponent; destroy it and all Monsters your opponent controls.

_**Persona Skill: Die For Me!**_

_**Counter Trap Card**_

Activate during the Battle Phase: When a DARK Monster attacks or is attacked, discard a card and select that Monster; the following effects trigger depending on who controls the selected Monster:

● If the selected Monster is controlled by you; it gains 500 ATK if it is attacking. If it is being attacked, you may banish it and negate the attack. Special Summon it during the End Phase

● If the selected Monster is controlled by your opponent; destroy it and all Monsters your opponent controls.

**EXTRA DECK:**

_**Ultimate Magician Persona – Takehaya Susano-O**_

_**LV 6**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 2300 / DEF 2000**_

_**Synchro Materials – "Magician Soul" + "Persona of The Magician – Jiraiya"**_

Effect – When this card is successfully Synchro Summoned: Increase its ATK by half the ATK of the Tuner Monster used to Summon this card. As long as this card is face-up on the field: You can gain 500 Life Points, and negate up to 2 attacks each turn.

_**Ultimate Priestess Persona – Sumeo Okami**_

_**LV 7**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 2500 / DEF 2400**_

_**Synchro Materials – "Priestess Soul" + "Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya"**_

Effect – During each of your End Phases, gain 600 Life Points for each face-up "Persona" Monster you control.

_**Ultimate Emperor Persona – Takeji Zaiten**_

_**LV 8**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 3000 / DEF 2700**_

_**Synchro Materials – "Emperor Soul" + "Persona of The Emperor – Take-Mikazuchi"**_

Effect – This card is also treated as a LIGHT Monster. This card cannot be destroyed by Battle (damage calculation is applied normally). If this card Battles a Defense Position Monster whose DEF is less than the ATK of this card: Inflict Piercing Battle Damage to your opponent.

_**Ultimate Star Persona – Kamui Moshiri**_

_**LV 5**_

_**WATER**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 2100 / DEF 2400**_

_**Synchro Materials – "Star Soul" + "Persona of The Star – Kintoki Douji"**_

Effect – Once per turn: Roll a die. The following effects activate appropriately:

● 1: Gain 1000 Life Points.

● 3: Your opponent gains 1000 Life Points

● 6: Neither player can declare an attack for 1 of their turns.

_**Ultimate Chariot Persona – Haraedo-no-Okami**_

_**LV 6**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 2400 / DEF 1000**_

_**Synchro Materials – "Chariot Soul" + "Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe"**_

Effect – All "Persona" Monsters you control gain 500 ATK and DEF and cannot be destroyed by Battle while this card remains face-up on the field.

_**Ultimate Fortune Persona – Yamato-Sumeragi**_

_**LV 7**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 2400 / DEF 1500**_

_**Synchro Materials – "Fortune Soul" + "Persona of Fortune – Sukuna Hikona"**_

Effect – Once per turn, when an opponent's Monster declares an attack: You can negate the attack and end the Battle Phase.

_**Ultimate Lovers Persona – Kouzeon**_

_**LV 7**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK ? / DEF 2500**_

_**Synchro Materials – "Lovers Soul" + "Persona of The Lovers – Himiko"**_

Effect – This card's ATK is equal to the number of cards in your hand x700. Once per turn: You can pay 500 Life Points to select 1 card in your opponent's hand and have them reveal it.

**SPEED SPELLS:**

_**Speed Spell – Downshift**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

All Speed Spell Cards (that you control/play) require only half the normal amount of Speed Counters to activate their Effects until your 3rd Standby Phase after activating this card.

_**Speed Spell – Tactic Shift**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

When you have at least 8 Speed Counters, you may Release any number of Monsters on your Field to change the Battle Positions of an equal number of Monsters your opponent controls.

_**Speed Spell – Sukukaja**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

If you activate a card effect this turn while you have at least 4 Speed Counters: You can activate it a second time without paying a cost (if any). This does not include card effects that can only be used once per Duel.

_**Speed Spell – Straight Jet**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Pay Life Points in multiples of 100 (MAX. 600): Gain 1 Speed Counter for every 100 Life Points paid this way.

_**Speed Spell – Sukunda**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Activate only when your opponent has more Speed Counters than you: Reduce their Speed Counters to equal the number of counters you have.

_**Speed Spell – Deceased Synchron**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Activate only by removing 8 of your Speed Counters. Select 1 Level 8 or lower Synchro Monster in your Extra Deck. Banish 1 Tuner monster and 1 non-Tuner monster in your Graveyard whose total Levels equal that Synchro Monster's Level, and Special Summon it. Banish it during the End Phase.

_**Speed Spell – Summon Speeder**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Activate if you have 3 or more Speed Counters. Remove 2 of your Speed Counters; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from your hand. It cannot attack this turn.

_**Speed Spell – Speed Energy**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Remove 1 of your Speed Counters. Target monster you control gains ATK for each Speed Counter you have x200 until the End Phase.

_**Speed Spell – Speed Storm**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Activate only if you have 3 or more Speed Counters. Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. During your Standby Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard, you can remove 3 of your Speed Counters to add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.

_**Speed Spell – Sonic Buster**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Remove 2 of your Speed Counters. Target 1 face-up monster you control and inflict damage to your opponent equal to half of its ATK.

_**Speed Spell – Overboost**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Gain 6 Speed Counters. During the End Phase, reduce your Speed Counters to 1.

_**Speed Spell – Overspeed**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

Activate only while you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Reduce your Speed Counters to 0 to add 1 Level 3 or lower Monster Card and 1 Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand. You cannot gain Speed Counters for the next 3 turns after this card's activation.

_**Speed Spell – Wheelie Breaker**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

This card can be activated by removing 6 of your Speed Counters. Destroy all face-up monsters on your opponent's side of the field.

_**Speed Spell – Speed Jammer**_

_**Speed Spell Card**_

This card can be activated by removing 2 of your Speed Counters. Remove 6 of your opponent's Speed Counters.

**Other Notable Cards:**

_**Breakthrough Skill**_

_**Double Summon**_

_**Magic Jammer**_

_**Trap Jammer**_

_**Blustering Winds**_

_**Mystical Space Typhoon**_

_**Draining Shield**_

_**Negate Attack**_

_**Now, there is also a 'Side Deck' of sorts, but this is essentially more like a 'plot device cards and other cards to be added later' Deck. Also, credit for Speed Spell – Tactic Shift goes to The Azure Guardian. The card was thought up by him and used in one of his stories, he just let me use the effect, I made the name.**_


	2. New Days, The Beginning Part 1

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 1: New Days; The Beginning, Part 1—**_

"Alright, I'll attack you directly with my _**Shooting Star Dragon**_ to end this." I declared with a smirk, knowing that my opponent couldn't counter. My opponent sighed in defeat, his Life Points having dropped from 1500 to 0 with my attack. He gathered his cards and shuffled them back into his Deck while I did the same. I put my Deck back next to me and offered my hand to the teenager.

"Good game man. Honestly, I would've lost if I hadn't gotten _**Shooting Star**_ out when I did, so you deserve some credit too." After a second, my former opponent shook my hand and nodded. I grabbed my Deck and walked over to a nearby table that wasn't being used by the shop as of now and sat down. I took out my Side Deck and started to swap out cards.

I'm sure you're wondering who I am and what's going on, right? Well, I'd be happy to answer those questions.

My name's Drew Ashford. I'm a senior in high school at 18 years old. I have black hair styled just like Minato Arisato from the _Persona 3_ video game, and light blue eyes. I have a fairly athletic build (a year or two on my school's track team may have something to do with that). For those of you who are wondering, I'm wearing a forest green button-up shirt, jeans, a pair of brown combat boots (one of my trademarks), and a tan vest, considering it was just now getting into the coldest part of autumn.

As for what's going on, I'm currently in a tournament for my favorite card game, 'Yu-Gi-Oh!', that's being held at my town's local game shop. I was already headed to the semi's with my most recent victory that you just witnessed. All thanks to my replica of the Yusei Fudo Synchro Deck. I watched the last Duel for the quarterfinals, featuring a killer _**Infernity**_ Deck from one side, and a decent _**Ritual**_ Deck from the other. Afterwards, I heard my name called along with my opponent.

"First up for the semifinals is Drew vs. Jane." The shop manager announced. I stepped up to the dueling table, standing across from me was a girl my age with medium-length brown hair with a few blue highlights in it, and green eyes with a pair of thin-rimmed glasses (which was actually kind of cute, cause…y'know). Hell, if we weren't about to Duel, I'd probably ask her out. She began to shuffle and cut her Deck as I did.

"So, you're Jane, huh?" I asked to be friendly. She just nodded without a word and placed her Deck down in the proper zone. I did the same as we both drew our starting hands. Suddenly, time seemed to come to a total standstill and Jane looked up at me. "What the…"

"Drew Ashford." she said. "I wish to ask you something." How can she move like me? Is she somehow involved in this?

"What's going on? Did you do this or something?" I asked. I'm… Starting to get an _Accel World_ vibe off of this…

"Yes. I stopped the flow of time in this realm so I could speak to you freely." Jane replied. "I have a request for you." Eh? I'm a bit interested now. Suddenly, her appearance had changed before I could blink. She now wore a black dress that went down to her knees, a short white jacket that stopped at her bust line (her… very generous bust line…), brown heeled boots, and a pair of white gloves that stopped at her elbows. Her hair had grown longer, now reaching down to her waist, but the color was now a silvery white while the blue highlights remained. That, and she still wore the glasses.

"And what would that be?" I asked in return, not sure where this could be going, and still trying to register what just happened. "First though, tell me who you really are. You're not normal, are you?"

"You are surprisingly knowledgeable of things out of the ordinary." 'Jane' remarked. Trust me, you'd get a sixth sense for this kind of stuff too if you played the kind of video games I play. "Very well. My true name is Juno, and I am a being of great power. I believe in your language, such beings have been dubbed 'Gods'. I am here because I have something to ask of you." Okay, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't believe a word of this, but since time is freaking frozen, the girl I was supposed to be dueling just gave herself an instant makeover AND stopped time, and I know for a fact I'm not dreaming, I had no real choice but to go with it.

"Alright, so what sort of favor are we talking here?"

"In the realm in which I come from, there is a great danger." Juno explained. "A dark force is seeking to revive itself and wreak havoc on the human world."

"And what do I have to do with this?" I asked.

"You are the key to the salvation of the world." Juno replied. "I would like to form a Covenant, or a contract of sorts with you. This Covenant states that, in exchange for you agreeing to combat this evil, I'll accompany you throughout your journey." Great, now I'm getting a slight _Polyphonica_ vibe off this girl with all this talk about covenants.

"A Contract, huh? And with a god too…" I wondered aloud with a chuckle. "What's the catch?"

"The only drawback of you agreeing to this is that you may never be able to return to this world. The life you know will become nothing more than a memory once you agree to the terms of the contract." Juno explained. That caught my attention, needless to say.

"Okay, let me get this straight; you want me to form a contract with a god, and then just kiss my life here goodbye." I stated. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I can't just leave behind everything I've always known, even if I am supposed to save this 'other world'. Where or what exactly is it anyways?"

"In your world, I believe humans refer to it as 'Yu Gi Oh! 5D's', or something along those lines." Juno replied. Wait, what? _Yu Gi Oh 5D's_? As in where they play this very same card game on motorcycles? THAT _Yu Gi Oh 5D's_?

"Wait, so would I be Dueling there then?" I asked.

"Yes." Juno replied simply.

"But still, I can't just drop everything and leave forever. I'm hardly a month from graduating high school, and after that I was going to go to college." I protested. "I have the next four years of my life set up for me, and you want me to just forget about it and throw it away? Isn't there someone else you can ask?"

"I'm sorry to say, but there is not anyone else than can fulfill this role I am presenting to you. You are the only one who can bring about the salvation of the world." Juno replied. "I understand that you want to stay, but there are times in one's life when they must leave their comfort zone." I thought it over for a few seconds, still hesitant.

"Are you sure there isn't another person you can ask?" I finally said.

"No."

"…And you won't let me refuse, will you?" I continued.

"No." the teenage goddess answered. I thought some more and finally sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I'll go. I'm gonna' kick myself in the ass later, but I'll go." I replied. "But what about a Deck? I mean I have one here, but it's just a replica of a Deck that exists in the world we're going to."

"I am aware of this, and I'll supply you with a new Deck once we arrive." Juno explained as a flash of light flooded the shop. When I could open my eyes again, we were standing in a huge futuristic-looking city. People walked to and fro, each one having a destination in mind. The goddess then led me into a small nearby building, an abandoned vehicle workshop by the looks of it.

"What are we doing here?" I asked as Juno led me inside.

"If you want to fit in here, then you'll need a Duel Runner." The young goddess explained. Seriously? You're giving me a freaking Duel Runner? I think I could learn to like this girl.

Juno turned on the lights of the garage and what I saw made my heart skip a beat. In the center of the room was the coolest Duel Runner I've ever seen. It was silver and blue, the shape being the sleekest I'd ever seen on these things and looked almost like Yusei Fudo's Duel Runner in overall shape, except the back portion didn't rise all the way over my head, and the front was shaped like the helmet of Izanagi-no-Okami from _Persona 4_. I walked up to the motorcycle and admired my new ride.

Suddenly, I noticed in the reflection of the bike that I wasn't looking at a familiar face. My hair was still in the same style, but now it was a medium shade of teal, while my eyes were now crimson red, which made me think of Labrys from _Persona 4 Arena_. Looking down at myself, I noticed that my clothing now consisted of a white sleeveless trench coat (similar to the one that Kaiba wore near the end of the original _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ Series) over a short-sleeved dark blue shirt, grey pants, brown combat boots (still my trademark), and a pair of blue biker gloves. Needless to say, I looked completely badass.

"Where did you get this Duel Runner? And how did you change my look?" I asked in awe.

"I'm a being of power far beyond the fathoming of humans, creating a Duel Runner and changing your appearance is mere child's play." Juno replied casually. "What will you name it?" I guess that means it's nameless. I thought for a second before looking back at the bike, a memory of one of my top-ten favorite anime popping into my mind.

"Reiraku Byakuya." I answered. "In Japanese it means, 'White Night of Downfall'. I thought it was fitting, since this thing has the same color scheme as the I.S. Byakushiki."

"Interesting." Juno remarked. "Oh, I almost forgot. Look inside, you'll find your new Deck there." I did as asked and looked in the area where I would sit.

Below the monitor was a Duel Disk attached to the bike. I somehow knew that it was a hybrid design and disengaged it from the Duel Runner. The Duel Disk itself interested me, in that it had an interesting design. It was dark blue with the card board being white, to match my Duel Runner. The Monster Card spaces were golden yellow as well. The card board even had a shape similar to a dragon's wings, not to mention a special slot for the Extra Deck. Inside the Deck Zone of the device was my new Deck. I took it out and looked through the cards, which also surprised me like the Duel Runner had.

"Huh? What's up with this Deck?" I wondered aloud. "The cards in here are entirely new to me, but..." I read through the effects of some of the new cards, and despite them being cards I'd never even heard of, they were certainly useful from what I saw, and the things the cards depicted were _quite_ familiar to me. "How did you get cards like this Juno? They're all based off of Personas from the _Persona _series..." For a second, I thought I heard Juno mumble something, but I quickly dismissed it to focus on the situation at hand.

"I simply manifested them from your psyche." The teenage goddess replied. Huh? My psyche?

"What does that even mean?" I asked in confusion.

"I…well…sort of looked through your psyche while you were waiting for our match earlier… And I created this Deck based on your innermost thoughts…" Juno said nervously, as if afraid that I would be furious. Huh…

…Dammit, I'm such a fanboy. Curse you ATLUS!

"Actually, I think that's kind of cool." I replied. "Not too big on the fact that you went through my head like that, but still, that's kind of cool." The silver-haired goddess relaxed a little and smiled.

"You realize that you're past the point of no return, don't you?" She asked. I nodded in understanding and picked up the helmet in the seat to admire it. It was the same shape as the 'helmet' ornament on the front of my Duel Runner, but with most of the front being replaced by a citrine-colored visor. I placed it on my head and the visor lowered itself over my eyes.

"I know, but I'm willing to accept that now. I may not be able to make a life for myself in my world…my _old_ world… But I can always make one here." I said a little quietly. I engaged my Duel Disk to my vehicle, hopped onto Reiraku Byakuya, and gestured for Juno to get on behind me. She nodded and once she was on, I revved the engine for the first time, hearing its' pure power. I then sped out of the old garage and into the streets of Neo Domino City. I immediately noticed that this thing was insanely fast.

"Where are we headed to first?" Juno asked from behind me. I thought for a moment before realizing she was right, I had no real plan as of now.

But as quickly as I realized that, I came up with a plan. "First, we should find someone to Duel so I can get a good feel for my Deck. No use in trying to save the world when I don't know my cards, right?" I answered over the rush of the wind. We rode around for a while until we came to a place I figured would be suitable for Duel Gangs. As if on cue, a group of thugs started to emerge from the shadows.

"Lookie what we has here." Said a large and muscular man, who appeared to be the leader. He had tanned skin, buzzed black hair, and a scar under his left eye. "Some kid who done got lost in da' wrong place."

"Yeah, you ought'a teach 'em a lesson Boss!" one of the thugs added.

"Pound 'em real good." Another said. The rest began to cheer as well. The leader cracked his knuckles and took out a Duel Disk that looked like the standard Domino City model.

"You Duel, kid?" he asked. I nodded and stepped off my Duel Runner before disengaging the Duel Disk and placing it on my arm.

"Like hell I do." I replied. Suddenly, the leader pulled out a cord from his Duel Disk with some sort of clamp on it before hurling the end at my arm. The clamp attached itself to my Duel Disk. Oh crap, I know what this means…

"Ya' made a pretty stupid move comin' here alone, kid." The leader said. "You know what this chain here does? Lose the Duel, and your Duel Disk gets fried. Same goes for me too, and neither of us can escape." I grit my teeth, but then put on my game face to show the Boss I was ready.

"I'll be here with you every step of the way, Drew." Juno added as the Duel started.

"Let's Duel!" Boss and I shouted.

_**Drew LP: 4000**_

_**Boss LP: 4000**_

"I'll take the first move." I said as I drew my sixth card and added it to my hand of five. I looked at the cards I had and decided carefully on what to do. "First, I'll Summon _**Persona of The Emperor – Polydeuces**_ to the field in Attack Mode!" A muscular figure wearing a blue jumpsuit, armored vest, red gloves, and long blond hair on his head emerged from a blue portal in the ground. The figure also had a syringe in place of his right arm.

_**Persona of The Emperor – Polydeuces **_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Warrior/Effect**_

_**ATK 1000 / DEF 1200**_

"What the Hell is that thing? I've never heard of it." Boss said. There were also a few murmurs amongst the other thugs watching the duel.

"As you know, I can't attack on my first turn, but I _can_ activate _**Polydeuces'**_ effect; which burns you for 1000 damage once a turn!" I said as _**Polydeuces**_ flew straight at Boss and hit him with two quick punches.

_**Drew LP: 4000**_

_**Boss LP: 3000**_

"I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn." I announced, placing two cards within the proper zones.

"Alright then, I draw!" Boss said as he drew his sixth card. "From my hand I'm playing the _**Spiritual Forest**_ Spell Card!" upon inserting the card, a few odd-looking trees appeared around us. "With this bad boy out, the first Beast-Type Monster you try to destroy by Battle ain't destroyed."

"Not so fast! I activate my facedown; _**Magic Jammer**_!" I announced as the card flipped over. So say farewell to _**Spiritual Forest**_!" The trees disappeared as his Spell shattered into pixels.

Boss growled. "Fine. Next I'm Summoning _**Rescue Cat**_!" A small cat wearing a hardhat appeared in front of Boss.

_**Rescue Cat**_

_**LV 4**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Beast/Effect**_

_**ATK 300 / DEF 100**_

Rescue Cat? That means he's running a Beast Deck, or at least something with a lot of search power. If he brought that thing out, then I have an idea for what he might try to do.

"I activate my other Trap, _**Persona Skill: Makajam**_!" I announced as the card flipped over on the field, the image depicting a man attempting to speak. "If my opponent Summons a Monster by any means, then the Attack and Defense Points of that Monster is halved, and you can't attack for one turn. And this Trap is Continuous, so that goes for all Monsters you try to Summon for the next few turns."

"Doesn't matter, I send _**Rescue Cat**_ to the Graveyard to Special Summon two Level 3 or lower monsters from my Deck." Boss replied as _**Rescue Cat**_ shattered into pixels. "So I Special Summon _**Milus Radiant and X-Saber Airbellum**_!" Shit! I know where this is going. A bipedal lion that reminded me of Wolverine appeared next to a yellow jungle cat wearing a purple ascot.

_**Milus Radiant**_

_**LV 1**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Beast/Effect**_

_**ATK 300-150 / DEF 250-125**_

_**X-Saber Airbellum**_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Beast/Tuner**_

_**ATK 1600-800 / DEF 200-100**_

"Boss got his best combo going!" a thug cheered.

"That kid's as good as finished." Another added. I hope he isn't about to do what I think he is.

"Next, I'm activating _**Synchro Boost**_, and I equip it to _**Airbellum**_." Boss announced. _**Airbellum**_ glowed as his power and Level increased _**(Airbellum ATK/DEF: 800-1300/100-600, LV 3-4)**_. "Now, I Tune my Level 4 _**Airbellum**_ with my Level 1 _**Milus Radiant**_!" _**Airbellum**_ turned into four green rings while _**Milus **_turned into a small sphere of light. The sphere flew through the rings as a bright light engulfed the field. "I Synchro Summon _**Naturia Beast**_!" A creature that was a combination between a lion and a tree emerged from the light and stared me down. A white glow outlined his body as _**Makajam**_ took effect.

_**Naturia Beast**_

_**LV 5**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Beast/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 2200-1100 / DEF 1600-800**_

"Great, now I have this thing to deal with." I mumbled in thought.

"Something wrong, Drew?" Juno asked.

"Yeah, that _**Naturia Beast**_ of his can stop me from using Spells, but in return he has to mill down his Deck." I explained quietly, since I figured if this was anything like Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, then they probably didn't see or hear Juno.

"Don't worry, your Deck will help you, I'm sure of it." Juno assured. "Just believe in your cards, and they'll answer your prayers." Great, now I have a female version of Yugi Muto following me around. But hey, it wouldn't hurt to try.

"I'm gonna' be nice and give you one more turn before I pound ya'. Wouldn't be very fun for me if I just beat ya' outright, now would it?" Boss said with a cocky grin on his face. "And besides, thanks to ya' Trap Card, I can't attack for a while. I end my turn." I bit my lip slightly, something I often do when I'm in a pinch, or I'm just thinking. As long as _**Naturia Beast**_ is out, I can't use Spell Cards without them being destroyed. And as of right now, I don't have anything strong enough to go up against it. I closed my eyes and placed my hand on the top card of my Deck. I concentrated on the card and pleaded for a miracle.

**(BGM – Reach Out To The Truth (from Persona 4).)**

"I draw!" I shouted as I pulled the card out. I turned it over to see what it was and I cracked a smile."I Summon _**Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe **_to the field!" As I played the card, the Monster I Summoned was a slightly muscular woman wearing a yellow and black-striped jumpsuit that looked like something Bruce Lee would wear along with white boots and white gloves. She wore a white helmet on her head, with a pair of yellow eyes shining through and long black hair spilling out the back. In her hands she wielded a double-ended naginata.

_**Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe**_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 600 / DEF 0**_

"Now I activate _**Polydeuces'**_ _other_ effect! With it I can Special Summon a _**Persona**_ or _**Soul**_ Monster from my hand! I choose to Summon the Tuner Monster, _**Chariot Soul**_!" The next Monster to appear was a figure made of green energy. The figure had the shape of a girl with short hair, looking like she was ready to kick something at a moment's notice.

_**Chariot Soul**_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

"T-Tuner Monster?" Boss asked. "You're not sayin'…?"

"Yep. Now I'll Tune my Level 3 _**Chariot Soul**_ with my Level 3 _**Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe**_!" I replied. Though as I declared my Synchro Summon, I noticed something different happened. Unlike in the anime where the Tuner would turn into rings and the other Monster (or Monsters) would turn into stars, I noticed that _**Chariot Soul**_ simply lost its' shape while_** Tomoe**_ transformed into a small tarot card with a blue aura around it. The card itself I recognized.

'_The Chariot Arcana?'_ I wondered. The energy that made up my Tuner then flowed into the card, which took to the sky as its' glow grew brighter. I smirked as I began my chant.

"_The Arcana is the means by which souls are bound! Determination and drive will now become my power! Synchro Summon! Strike, _**Ultimate Chariot Persona – Haraedo-no-Okami**_!"_

From the resulting flash of light emerged a figure similar to_** Tomoe**_, but she was clad in black and gold samurai armor complete with an armored skirt and a green cape flowing behind her. In her hands, instead of the naginata, she carried what I can only describe as a double-ended katana. Her hair was silvery white, tied back into a ponytail that flowed behind her like her cape, along with two braids on either side of her face.

_**Ultimate Chariot Persona – Haraedo-no-Okami**_

_**LV 6**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 2400 / DEF 1000**_

"What is that Monster? I've never heard of the damn thing!" Boss said in slight alarm.

"Next, I activate _**Haraedo's **_effect!_** Dragon Hustle**_!" I declared. "With this, all _**Personas**_ I control will get a little Attack Point bonus, to the tune of 500!" A dragon made of golden light appeared and circled around my Synchro and _**Polydeuces**_, increasing their power. **(Haraedo-no-Okami – ATK/DEF: 2400-2900/1000-1500) (Polydeuces – ATK/DEF: 1000-1500/1200-1700)**

"Huh?!" Boss said.

"That's right. Now,_** Haraedo**_, attack _**Naturia Beast**_! _**Agneyastra**_!" I commanded. _**Haraedo**_ twirled her weapon around, and in an instant, a rain of meteor-like objects obliterated _**Naturia Beast**_, shattering it into pixels.

_**Drew LP: 4000**_

_**Boss LP: 1200**_

"Now with him gone, I activate a Spell Card! I activate _**Swift Strike**_! With this, I can grant _**Haraedo-no-Okami **_an additional attack since she was able to destroy your _**Naturia Beast**_, which means you're wide open for a direct attack. So attack again with_** Agneyastra**_!" The feminine samurai repeated the process, summoning a rain of meteors that wiped out Boss' remaining Life Points.

_**Drew LP: 4000 (winner)**_

_**Boss LP: 0**_

**(BGM End)**

A surge of lightning went through Boss' Duel Disk, effectively making it blow out. The clamp on my Duel Disk released itself and I placed all my cards back together before putting them in the pouch on my belt.

"I'll admit, that was at least a little fun. Sort of…" I remarked as Juno and I got back on Reiraku Byakuya. I revved the engine and we took off out of the alley and back into the streets of Neo Domino City.

"So? What did you think?" Juno asked in anticipation.

"The Deck? Not bad actually. Some parts of it feel just a tad overkill, but I think I can work around that." I replied with a thoughtful shrug. I noticed that the sun was starting to set on the city. "We need to find somewhere to crash for the night pretty soon." Juno nodded and we continued to ride down the road. "Hey, Juno?"

"Hm? Yes?" she inquired in return.

"You think you can just call me Zero from now on?" I asked.

"Why's that?" Juno wondered.

"If this is really going to be my new life, I'd like to at least have a new name too." I replied. "So just call me Zero from now on, deal?"

"Deal." Juno replied with a laugh. "You humans are so interesting." We rode on into the night, a plan already forming in my head on what we should do next…


	3. New Days, The Beginning Part 2

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 2: New Days; The Beginning, Part 2—**_

As the sun set on New Domino City, Juno and I rode along the streets on my Duel Runner, Reiraku Byakuya. Right now, we were just riding around, no destination in mind. It was mostly quiet, until Juno broke the silence.

"So, what's the plan now?" she asked. I thought for a moment before slowing down and eventually stopping outright.

"That's where things get complicated." I replied. "I'm clueless as to what part of the timeline I'm in right now."

"Timeline?" Juno asked. It actually surprised me that she didn't know what I meant.

"There's a series of events that occur here in this world, but where I am amidst that timeline of events is beyond me." I explained. "However, there are three possibilities right now. The first is that you brought me to a point before the timeline even begins, the second is that I've been placed somewhere _in between_ the start and end of the timeline. And the third scenario is that we're currently at a point in time after the events have occurred. So, are any of those guesses correct?"

"Honestly, I can't answer that." Juno replied. "I didn't think that the time period was important. I guess you could say that I was more focused on 'where' as opposed to 'when'."

"It's… Not that the time period is 'important', but it helps to know so that I can make a plan for different scenarios." I said. "I prefer to make a strategy before taking action."

"I didn't think of that, sorry." Juno added, scratching the back of her head.

"As long as I know what point you brought me to, I can guarantee that I'll be able to beat this 'evil force' you keep talking about." I explained. "And that's only going to be helped more with my knowledge of this world."

"How'd you learn to be such a strategist?" the goddess asked.

"My parents are both detectives, so that led to a lot of conversations at dinner about various cases and the such. They even let me help them out once or twice." I answered, reminiscing about my old life. Wanna know the _other_ reason? LOTS of _Death Note,_ LOTS of _Code Geass_, and LOTS of RPG's. Pretty much to the point where that sort of strategic thinking is burned into my brain.

"Either way, we should find someplace to crash for the night." I continued, to which Juno nodded in agreement. As luck would have it, we ended up at what looked like an abandoned garage like the one Juno had first taken me (it's weird how many of these things are abandoned). I parked Reiraku Byakuya inside and hopped off along with Juno. Looking around, there was a doorway that led into a small area in the back that looked like a makeshift house, with a pair of couches on opposite walls, a coffee table in the center, and a small kitchen area off to the left (convenient?). We each took one of the couches to sleep on for the night, and I kid you not, as soon as her head rested on the furniture, Juno was out like a light.

I lost consciousness not long after, or at least I think I did, because as soon as I closed my eyes, I was now looking at the ceiling again. I noticed that I no longer felt the warm cushiness of a couch, rather the chilling hardness of a concrete floor.

**(BGM – Aria of the Soul (from Persona).)**

I sat up and looked around, I was seemingly in the main area of the garage, but I noticed that things were arranged differently, and there was no door leading into the back. That was when I took in the colors of everything. Well… More like_ color_, since everything had the same defining color scheme. A scheme that I can describe in one simple word.

Blue.

Everything was a deep blue in color, with what looked like blue velvet curtains lining the walls where windows would be. I took another good look around the room and–NOSE!

That… That is a long nose…

…

…

Hoo boy.

I was now staring at an unnaturally long nose that belonged to an equally strange-looking man. He was old, and I mean REALLY old, with a very noticeable bald spot, slightly pointed ears, and widened, bloodshot eyes that stared a path straight into my soul. His attire consisted of a black suit, and white gloves on his hands, which were folded under his nose. Seriously, his hands are folded under that thing and it goes OVER them! That defies all known laws of logic!

"Welcome… to the Velvet Room, my dear young man." Said the old man, a creepy grin on his face.

"...Thank you. It's a... nice place you have here?"

Nose-man didn't seem to be listening to me. He just chuckled to himself. "It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Igor, eh? That's... actually not that surprising given his appearance, among other things... "Zero. Nice to meet you too."

Igor actually acknowledged me this time with a nod. "Allow me to explain. This place exists between dream and reality. Mind and matter. Light and darkness. It is a room that only those who are bound by a contract may enter. Though it seems that such a fate has already found you." He's not talking about… Nah, could just be a…

…Dammit, he _did_ mean that.

Right next to Igor was none other than Juno, her usual clothes now blue and black-colored.

"Juno? What are you doing here?"

"Ah, I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you. This is…" Igor began. "Hmhm, though it seems you two have already met. As I expected."

"I am here to accompany you through your journey." Juno explained. "I'm sort of like a medium between the Velvet Room and the realm of the gods." A medium, huh?

Igor continued "We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell." I was about to say something else, but I was blinded by a white light and I fell asleep again in an instant.

**(BGM End)**

…

I snapped my eyes open and found myself back on the couch I had fallen asleep on. I sat up and decided to step outside to comprehend what just happened to me. I stepped out into the open air of New Domino City, the lights coming off from the buildings, giving everything a strangely peaceful glow. I took out my Deck from the holder on my waist and looked through the cards again.

"Damn, Juno knows how to make a Deck." I mumbled. "But… I wonder what it is she needed me to do here…" I began to think about the possibilities. "She gave me a Persona-based Deck, and I just visited the Velvet Room… Is it possible…?" Something seemed to click in my head. "It might be something related to _that_ universe… But why bring me here…? Did something from there leak into this world? Damn… It would help if I knew exactly where I was."

Suddenly, I felt a twinge of pain in my head. I grunted as I knelt down and grabbed my head. As I slowly looked up, I saw something that made my eyes widen. Off in the distance, a bright crimson-colored light was emanating from a stadium I recognized. I gasped in realization and managed to get back up and run inside to get my Runner. As I did so, I noticed Juno had woken up, and was now watching me in confusion.

"Zero? What's going on?" she asked.

"No time to explain, get on!" I replied as I mounted Reiraku Byakuya and put on my helmet. Juno followed suit, still unsure of what was going on, but I gave her a look that said I would explain later. I accelerated the bike as much as I could and took off towards the Kaiba Dome, which was simple enough, given the speed Juno fixed this thing up with. Within minutes we had reached the stadium. I hurried off and rushed inside, with Juno trying to follow behind. I managed to get into the bleacher area and what I saw confirmed all my suspicions. On the track were a pair of Turbo Duelists, both of whom I recognized. Each also had a dragon flying beside their moving bikes, one was a whitish-blue dragon while the other was a deep red.

However, there was a third dragon in the stadium, a massive, winged serpentine dragon made of fiery crimson energy. Suddenly, I felt that twinge of pain in my head again, but this time, it was worse. The dragon roared an authoritative roar, and began to rise into the air.

'_What the hell's… going on here…?'_ I wondered. _'Something inside me is reacting… to the Crimson Dragon…'_

"Zero? Zero! Are you okay?" I heard Juno ask in concern.

"**I am thou…"** I heard a voice echo within my head.

"Huh?"

"**Thou art I…"** the voice continued. **"Thou art the one… who sheds the light…"**

Suddenly, the pain intensified for a brief second before I saw a ghostly shape materialize before me. I couldn't make out any details, but I could definitely tell it had a humanoid shape. Almost as soon as it had appeared, it vanished again.

"Was that…?!" I wondered aloud as the crimson light from the dragon grew brighter. Within an instant, the light had vanished, and things in the stadium had grown silent, save for one of the men on the track. The pain in my head had all but vanished by this point, which allowed me to stand up, but as soon as I did, I was nearly blinded by helicopter search lights, and surrounded by a group of officers.

"You are in violation of code 36B!" an officer spoke through a megaphone. "Which clearly states that no residents of Satellite may enter New Domino City! By order of the Social Maintenance Department, we are placing you under arrest! Do not try to run, because we have the area surrounded!"

'_Oh, this is just simply _lovely_…'_ I thought to myself in annoyance.

… …

After being cuffed by Sector Security at the Kaiba Dome, I was taken to a courtroom the following morning, my arms still cuffed behind me as I sat in a chair beside one of the other young men at the Kaiba Dome, whose name was Yusei.

"Zero and Yusei Fudo! Your Duel Runners and decks are officially being confiscated by the Security!" the judge said as he glared at us. "Unauthorized entry into New Domino City by a resident of The Satellite is a major offense! Therefore, the Public Security Maintenance Bureau has made the following rule according to these charges! More specifically; Marker Incision! This is the mark of nonconformists within the jurisdiction of this city. Therefore within this jurisdiction, you will have no rights to livelihood. As for your punishment, the two of you will undergo a one-month long reeducation program at a detention center. Then, after the program is finished, you will be deported off to Satellite after you've done some community service for this city over the course of six months."

The judge then struck his gavel and both Yusei and I were hauled out of the room by four officers. They took the two of us to a room and led Yusei in first. Within a minute I could hear Yusei screaming in pain before he was roughly shoved out the door and I could see a gold-colored marking under his left eye, which I recognized as one of his trademarks from the anime.

I was hauled in next by the officers and placed in a chair as a device lowered in front of my face.

"Whaddaya' wanna' give this guy?" one of the guards asked.

"Oh! How about something on the forehead?" the other suggested. The first guard grinned.

"Yeah, that never gets old." He replied with a small laugh. The second guard lifted my fringe up as the device began to trace a pattern on my forehead, to which I grit my teeth to keep from screaming in pain. Once that was done, a mirror was handed to me to see the new marking, which was a set of three '0s'. An outer one that was golden yellow, a second one that was the same color as my skin, and a third inner one that was a solid yellow.

'_Heh, how fitting…'_ I thought to myself with a mental chuckle. Shortly after, the pair of guards came and escorted me out to the armored paddy wagons that they used to load people headed to the Facility. I got in the back of one and sat down. After a minute or so, I noticed Yusei step into this truck as well. The spiky-haired boy looked around and noticed me as well. The look on his face suggested that he wanted to know why I was arrested along with him. The look I gave him back was one that implied 'I'll explain later'. After that, an old man I recognized stepped onto the truck and sat next to Yusei, engaging the Satellite in conversation. I just sat back and let my mind wander. After a while, we arrived at the massive fortress that is the Facility, and began unloading from the trucks.

"Welcome to the Facility. Think of it as your home away from home. You got a warm bed, three square meals a day, everything criminals like you could want." A guard said as we all got off. As I got off the truck, I walked up to another guard, who held up a small device that scanned my marker.

"**Identification Number K6CG6-22. Illegal entry into New Domino City." **An automated voice spoke out an ID.

"Now keep moving!" the guard shoved me along. Another guard then led us inside the massive building, going through a number of hallways until we all came into a massive room with cell doors littering the walls for as high up as I could see.

"Alright, listen up! The rules are simple; no chewing gum, no fighting, and definitely no Dueling!" the guard called back. "And… you might wanna' stay back from those bars… some of these guys like to bite. Now as long as you stick to these rules, you should be perfectly fine." After a few minutes, the group stopped in a hallway with a few cell doors on either side of them. "Now these are your new rooms. I hope they're to your liking." After the sneer from the guard, the doors opened. Yusei and the old man went into one cell while I walked into the one next to it. Due to an odd number of people in the group, I ended up having the cell to himself.

"Well, this was unexpected…" I mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Juno asked (this being the first time she's spoken up since my arrest).

"I've managed to put more pieces of the puzzle into place, but they fit differently than I anticipated." I replied. "I now know that you took me to the start of this world's timeline, and your problem may or may not involve a select few individuals."

"So… Can you come up with a plan then?" the teenage goddess asked.

"Possibly, but there are a few variables that I still don't quite understand. Like when that dragon appeared last night… Something inside me reacted to it."

'_I never saw anything appear on my arm, so I can't be one of _them_.'_ I thought to myself. _'Then again… That thing that appeared…' _Something inside me seemed to click at that single thought. _'If that was what I think it was, then things may make more sense…'_

I did my best to try and just relax after that, despite the situation a hand. But that was proven fruitless as the cell door opened and a pair of thug-looking men walked in.

"Tanner want's a word with ya'." The first thug said.

"And why should I agree to this?" I countered, preparing myself should push come to shove. The second thug grinned.

"Because, you can do this the easy way, or the hard way. And trust me kid, you don't wanna' do this the hard way." He replied. I thought it over and sighed.

"Fine then, but this better not be a waste." I said in annoyance as I stood up, Juno following behind me. The thugs grinned and led me out and through the halls until we came out into what looked like a large gymnasium.

Standing next to me was, as fate would have it, Yusei and the old man I had seen earlier (whose name was Tenzen Yanagi). Standing across from us was a large group of prisoners, and at the front was a man who looked older than myself by a few years with spiky teal hair, teal eyes, and slightly tanned skin.

"Welcome, newbies, to my Dueling arena!" the man said, spreading his arms out in a gesture. Another thug came up and gave the teal-haired man a Duel Disk, who then strapped it on and activated it. "Hope you know how to Duel."

'_Great, another one…'_ I thought in annoyance as the Duelist walked up to Yusei and I while the old man known as Yanagi cowered behind them.

"Here's how it works; first day in, everybody Duels." The man said. "You Duel good and you get respect. But don't get any ideas, because I'm the best there is around here." Suddenly, Yanagi's expression brightened up and he ran up to the inmate.

"Of course you are, you're _the_ Bolt Tanner! You're amazing! Can I have your autograph?" he said excitedly.

"Sure, but I only write in black and blue!" Tanner snapped.

'_What's up his butt?'_ I thought, though I didn't need an answer to that question.

"Congrats, you've got your very first opponent, and it's gonna' be me!" Tanner added. "And since you don't have a Deck, you'll be using a reject that we scrap together." Yanagi grinned.

"Actually, I smuggled in my own Deck past Security." He said as he began to unveil cards from various hiding places in his clothing (some more…creative… than others). "And not only that, but it's the best Deck ever made!"

"I call it my Treasure Deck, and it's simply packed with relics, fossils, and antiques!" Yanagi said as he showed off his cards and danced around like a kid in a candy store.

"Heh, it won't help you either way." Tanner replied with a laugh. He then turned to Yusei. "And where's your Deck?"

"I…I don't have it." Yusei replied. Tanner then turned to me as if to ask the same question.

"I've got mine. I snuck it past Security like the old man." I replied. "I've got it hidden where nobody will think to find it."

"Well, then after I'm done wiping the floor with the old man, I'll rustle up some cards for you to use." Tanner mocked, addressing Yusei. "And then I'll teach you both a real lesson about Dueling here in the Facility. And believe me, it'll be a lesson not worth forgetting!"

"Alright, everybody just calm down." Yanagi interrupted. "I've been here before, so I know how things work around here. If I win, then well…I'm in charge."

"Like that would happen!" Tanner snapped.

"Well, if you're so confident, then let's get this show on the road." Yanagi said as he took a Duel Disk and placed it on before activating it. "This is so great, Tanner! Getting to Duel my hero!"

"Then go already!" Tanner replied. "Age before beauty, Gramps."

_**(A few turns later)**_

"Now, _**Giant Ushi Oni**_, attack!"

A Monster that resembled a cross between a spider and a bull leapt skyward as it pounced towards Yanagi, who braced himself out of fright, despite that the Monster was only a hard-light projection. When the attack collided, it sent the old man's cards spilling across the floor, leaving him knocked down along with them.

_**Yanagi LP: 0**_

_**Tanner LP: 4000**_

"You okay!?" Yusei asked as he and I ran over to Yanagi in concern, helping him up onto his feet.

"Class dismissed," Tanner smirked as he walked towards Yanagi, "You may have been here before, Grandpa, but you've never Dueled with the likes of me. And since you lost, that means I'm still in charge of this place," he stomped his foot onto Yanagi's _**Crystal Skull**_ card. "Now get out of here. And leave your precious treasures with me!" Tanner flashed another cocky smirk.

"Please let me keep my Deck! I'm just an old man, Mister Tanner!" Yanagi whined as he tried to release his card from underneath Tanner's weight, "I spent my entire life collecting all these rare cards. These cards are all I have left. You understand; they're like my children. The cards are so special and delicate that they require proper supervision! I've climbed Mt. Everest, I've survived the heat of the Sahara, I've even touched the North and South Poles, and in all these amazing travels, there's nothing more precious as the cards! Just open your heart and let me keep them safe and sound." But Tanner was unfazed by the elder's story as he further bruised the card with the sole of his shoe, "Gah! You can't do this!"

Yusei and I shared a look that suggested we were prepared to take action. "I believe that he asked you to get off his card…" I said as Yusei laid a gloved hand on Tanner's shoulder, I then used my martial arts training to my advantage, performing a sweeping kick that knocked the inmate off his feet, and releasing the card. I picked it up off the ground and dusted off the scuffmarks left by Tanner's shoe and handed it to Yusei, who had gathered the other cards and reassembled them.

"Looks like you two just earned yourselves a Duel." Tanner growled as he got up from the surprise attack.

"You think that this Deck is worthless? Well, you're dead wrong! We'll show you the _real_ value of these cards!" I challenged.

"Oh, really? The way I see it, they're completely worthless!' Tanner sneered.

"Then prove it, Tanner." Yusei said. He then walked up to Yanagi.

"Can we borrow your cards?" He asked. Yanagi, nonetheless, had no idea what he was planning. "I can see the true value of your Treasure Deck."

"Wha?"

Yusei took the old man's Duel Disk and placed it on himself before inserting the Deck into the slot.

"One of you hand over a Duel Disk!" I ordered, flashing a look that didn't make the inmates think twice about my request. One of the prisoners, luckily, had one on hand and gave it to me, I then placed it on my arm, and Yusei gave half of the Deck to the me, which I placed into my Duel Disk.

"You both wanna' Duel me with half a Deck? And half a _worthless_ Deck at that? Please, I want a _real_ challenge."

"And you'll get one. You said we Duel here for respect. I think it's time you learn what that really means." I said. The Duel Disks of each player activated and we all drew our starting hand.

"There's no way you got the skills to take me down! Do you have any idea what you two are getting yourselves into?" Tanner asked.

"Duel us and find out." Yusei shot back.

"Heh, at least you got the whole attitude thing covered." Tanner chuckled. "This might be fun after all."

"You two don't have to do this, you know." Yanagi insisted Yusei.

"But if we don't step up, We'll never live it down." Yusei said.

Nothing was going to stop Yusei from confronting Tanner, that much I could tell. "… Who are you two?" Yanagi asked.

"Just a couple of guys trying to get by." Yusei replied.

"Heh, speaking of which, I don't think we've officially met." I added, wanting to get intro's out of the way.

"Right, my name's Yusei." The spiky-haired boy replied.

"Right. Just call me Zero."

Tanner apparently had decided that he'd had enough of giving intermission. "You lose a Duel in here and no one's gonna respect you. And trust me, around here, you _survive_ on respect."

"Well, then you better hope you don't lose." Yusei said.

"And when we beat you, then you'll be respecting _us_." I added.

"DUEL!" we all participants shouted at once.

_**Okay, so I'm sure you've noticed by now that I didn't start at the very beginning of the series. My reasons behind this are simple; I (personally) don't think that the first 2 or 3 episodes really contribute that much to the overall plot, aside from initial exposition. And besides, I'll be putting a little more focus on my Self-Insert and his plot than I will with the original 5D's plot. Just figured I'd warn you about that now, if you were expecting me to have both plots going at once.**_

_**Also, a quick update, I made an alteration to one of the cards in the profile, namely **_**Polydeuces**_**. I reduced his damage output with his effect to 400, since it was a bit OP otherwise.**_

_**Anyways, that's all for now, so see ya' next chapter!**_


	4. New Days, The Beginning Part 3

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 3: New Days; The Beginning, Part 3—**_

"Looks like you two just earned yourselves a Duel." Tanner growled as he got up from the surprise attack.

"You think that this Deck is worthless? Well, you're dead wrong! We'll show you the _real_ value of these cards!" I challenged.

"Oh, really? The way I see it, they're completely worthless!' Tanner sneered.

"Then prove it, Tanner." Yusei said. He then walked up to Yanagi.

"Can we borrow your cards?" He asked. Yanagi, nonetheless, had no idea what he was planning. "I can see the true value of your Treasure Deck."

"Wha?"

Yusei took the old man's Duel Disk and placed it on himself before inserting the Deck into the slot.

"One of you hand over a Duel Disk!" I ordered, flashing a look that didn't make the inmates think twice about my request. One of the prisoners, luckily, had one on hand and gave it to me, I then placed it on my arm, and Yusei gave half of the Deck to the me, which I placed into my Duel Disk.

"You both wanna' Duel me with half a Deck? And half a _worthless_ Deck at that? Please, I want a _real_ challenge."

"And you'll get one. You said we Duel here for respect. I think it's time you learn what that really means." I said. The Duel Disks of each player activated and we all drew our starting hand.

"There's no way you got the skills to take me down! Do you have any idea what you two are getting yourselves into?" Tanner asked.

"Duel us and find out." Yusei shot back.

"Heh, at least you got the whole attitude thing covered." Tanner chuckled. "This might be fun after all."

"You two don't have to do this, you know." Yanagi insisted Yusei.

"But if we don't step up, We'll never live it down." Yusei said.

Nothing was going to stop Yusei from confronting Tanner, that much I could tell. "… Who are you two?" Yanagi asked.

"Just a couple of guys trying to get by." Yusei replied.

"Heh, speaking of which, I don't think we've officially met." I added, wanting to get intro's out of the way.

"Right, my name's Yusei." The spiky-haired boy replied.

"Right. Just call me Zero."

Tanner apparently had decided that he'd had enough of giving intermission. "You lose a Duel in here and no one's gonna respect you. And trust me, around here, you _survive_ on respect."

"Well, then you better hope you don't lose." Yusei said.

"And when we beat you, then you'll be respecting _us_." I added.

"DUEL!" we all shouted at once.

_**Zero/Yusei LP:**__** 4000**_

_**Tanner LP:**__** 4000**_

"Seniority rules here, so I'm going first," Tanner drew his sixth card and grinned, "Let me introduce you to my little pet, _**Jirai Gumo**_!" The Monster he summoned was nothing more than a large brown spider. Despite having eight legs, it only stood on two.

_**Jirai Gumo**_

_**LV 4**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Insect/Effect**_

_**ATK 2200 / DEF 100**_

'_Not a bad start. _**Jirai Gumo**_ is a Level 4 Monster with 2200 ATK, making it hard to counter if you Summon it on the first turn.'_ I mentally complimented.

"Then I'll set two facedowns and end my turn. So how's the old timer's Deck looking? You gonna throw some garage-sale rejects at me?" Tanner mocked.

"My turn!" I declared and drew my sixth card. Yanagi seemed to recognize my hand as the same one he had during his Duel with Tanner.

"Whatever you do, don't use the _**Crystal Skull**_." The old man warned.

"The _**Crystal Skull**_? Good idea!" I replied.

"What are you—I said don't use it! Didn't you see what it did to me?" Yanagi shouted.

"I Summon _**Crystal Skull**_ in Defense Mode!" A giant blue skull made of a crystalline substance appeared on the field in front of me.

_**Crystal Skull**_

_**LV 1**_

_**WATER**_

_**Rock/Effect**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

And just like last time when Yanagi had Summoned it, the _**Crystal Skull**_ unleashed a torrent of cursed power directly at me. The other prisoners besides Yanagi, Yusei, and myself laughed.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" Yanagi cited.

"You know that skull's cursed." Tanner protested, "Why play something that attacks yourself?"

"That's a good question, why would I?" I asked rhetorically, while a smirk appeared on my face. "It'd be a pretty damn stupid move, unless of course, I had…" Almost as if on cue, a Spell Card appeared beside me as I played it, which materialized a white paper doll over my head.

"I got that from a friendly shaman in Africa, but he never got the chance to explain how it worked…" Yanagi reminisced.

Absorbing the energy from the _**Crystal Skull**_, the white doll turned pitch-black and dispelled the attack, instantly breaking into smaller dolls that assaulted Tanner. The looks of the other inmates as they saw that play was priceless.

_**Zero/Yusei LP:**__** 4000**_

_**Tanner LP:**__** 3000**_

"What just happened?" One prisoner asked.

"Seems like everything just played all opposite-like! Tanner ended up losing Life Points, and the newbie didn't take any damage at all!" Another said in curiosity.

"How'd you do that?" Tanner demanded. "What was that card you just played?"

"It's the _**Curse Reflection Doll**_." I answered, "Normally it's used to reflect burn effects back at the opponent, but I'm gonna use it to turn _**Crystal Skull's**_ curse into an attack against you."

"Nice one Zero!" Yusei complimented. I could tell that even Yanagi was feeling a little better with just a glance at him.

"I'm just so glad that someone other than me can see the true value of these cards." He said.

"Well, I never met a card I didn't like. And I'm sure that Yusei's the same way." I commented. "You see, every card is special, and you just have to appreciate its power in order to figure out how to best use it."

"…So you don't think they're worthless?" Yanagi asked.

"Are you kidding me gramps? This Deck is incredible." I said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"…I knew it …I just knew it!" Yanagi said, starting to get a bit emotional.

"Hey, don't sweat it, Tanner!" one of the prisoners called, "The new kid just got lucky, that's all. Don't let it get to ya!"

"No, that was not luck." Tanner answered with a faint smile. "If Pro-Duels taught me one thing, it was how to spot a good opponent,"

"It's my turn; I draw!" Tanner looked at the card he drew and smirked. "Sweet! I sacrifice _**Jirai Gumo**_, in order to Advance Summon _**Ushi Oni**_!" The spider transformed into a small ceramic jar, which released a giant demon similar in shape to a bull.

_**Ushi Oni**_

_**LV 6**_

_**DARK**_

_**Fiend**_

_**ATK 2150 / DEF 1950**_

"Now, why would he do that?" Yanagi wondered, "_**Jirai Gumo**_ is more powerful than this Monster..."

'_Yeah, but barely.'_ I mentally reasoned. _'If he's bringing that out, then I think I've got an idea of what he's about to do…'_

"Just wait, old-timer, the real show's about to begin. Now I Release _**Ushi Oni**_ to Special Summon _**Giant Ushi Oni**_!" Tanner soon replaced the demon with another larger demon that appeared to have the upper body of a minotaur, and the lower body of a spider.

_**Giant Ushi Oni**_

_**LV 8**_

_**DARK**_

_**Fiend/Effect**_

_**ATK 2600 / DEF 2100**_

'_Just as I thought!' _was my conclusion.

"This big guy does whatever a spider can! And now my _**Giant Ushi Oni**_ is taking out your _**Crystal Skull**_! Go, **Spector Spike**!" Tanner declared as his Monster charged after the crystal, shattering it to pieces, which then broke down into pixels.

"That's just the beginning of your worries, because when _**Giant Ushi Oni**_ destroys a Monster in battle, it can attack again. And with your _**Crystal Skull**_ gone, you've got no defense; so you're open for a direct attack!" _**Giant**__**Ushi Oni**_ spewed several thick strands of webbing, which tangled over Yusei, who took the damage without even flinching.

_**Zero/Yusei LP:**__** 1400**_

_**Tanner LP:**__** 3000**_

"That was awesome!"

"These guys just ain't got what it takes!"

"Yusei, You okay?" I asked.

"I'll be fine." The spiky-haired man replied.

"So are you any good at all newbies?" Tanner asked mockingly. "Or are you the losers these guys say you are?"

"Oh, we're good. You just haven't seen it yet. My move!" Yusei said as he drew his card. "I Summon _**Ashoka Pillar **_in Defense Mode!" The Monster to appear was a giant Morian pillar.

_**Ashoka Pillar**_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Rock/Effect**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 2200**_

"Ooh, look at me, I just summoned a giant stick!" A prisoner said sarcastically.

"Now you _really_ got us scared!" Another mocked.

"Knock it off, you two!" Tanner argued, "I'm interested to see how much he can squeeze out of that Deck," he turned to Yusei. "So, you got another surprise up your sleeve?"

"Yeah, I got more! I play the Spell Card, _**Stonehenge**_!" Yusei played a Spell Card that revealed a circle of stone structures, a world-famous monument. "See, the power of _**Stonehenge**_ lets me Summon a Monster with no Attack Points from my Graveyard. So I'm Summoning back the _**Crystal Skull**_ in Defense Mode!" in a flash of light, the blue skull came back to the field, but not without inflicting its curse on Yusei and myself.

_**Zero/Yusei LP:**__** 400**_

_**Tanner LP:**__** 3000**_

"Is your skull as empty as that _**Crystal Skull**_?" A prisoner asked while the others laughed, "Cause unless you got another one of these reflection dolls, that was the stupidest move possible!"

"Think again, boys," Tanner analyzed, "_**Giant Ushi Oni**_ can attack twice. If he hadn't Summoned that skull, I would've been able to take him out after demolishing that pillar. But with that _**Crystal Skull **_in the way…"

"_**Ushi Oni**_ will have to attack it instead of him!"

"So, uh, he basically saved himself from a big beating by taking a medium-sized beating?"

"Yep," Tanner smiled deviously, "Except he made one major mistake; when _**Ushi Oni**_ demolishes that pillar, he'll take 2000 points of damage!"

"Sorry, kiddos." Yanagi apologized. "I wish I could've given you a better Deck."

"C'mon gramps, you can't give up on your Deck now. I'll place a facedown and end my turn." Yusei concluded, a single reversed card appearing on the field in front of him and I.

"Don't think that face-down can save you, kid!" Tanner boasted as his turn began. "Let's see how your little trinkets can stand up to this move!" The demon on Tanner's field flexed its muscles, ready to attack. "_**Giant Ushi Oni**_, tear down that _**Asoka Pillar**_!"

"Not so fast! I play the _**Totem Pole**_ Trap Card!" Yusei said as a three-tiered totem pole appeared. One of its three sections was destroyed by _**Giant Ushi Oni**_, leaving only two parts left.

"How incredible!" Yanagi cheered.

"Keep 'em coming, Tanner, because my _**Totem Pole**_ can block your attacks up to 3 times!" Yusei explained.

"This is fantastic! With my Deck, you're both gonna win!" But the celebration was short-lived as Tanner chuckled.

"You think I didn't see that coming? I was _counting_ on it! Cause now I can play my _**Spider Web Castle**_ Trap Card! And it's all thanks to you activating _your_ Trap Card!" Tanner activated a reversed card, which invaded the field with numerous threads of webbing, forming into the shape of a tall Japanese tower, "So now, if your Monster attacks, it'll get caught in my web, and will only be able to use half its Attack Points. But the best part is that I can also discard a card to my Graveyard, and then jump past your defense for a direct attack!"

"I take it back, kids. You're not gonna win." Yanagi whined.

"I'll place a facedown and end my turn." Tanner said.

I looked down at my half of Yanagi's Deck. _'I know this Deck won't let me down. If I can get one more Monster on the field, I can win this. If not, Yusei and I are goners.'_ I closed my eyes, reached for the Deck, and focused all my thoughts onto one last draw. When the Draw Phase had passed, I opened my eyes, got a good look at the card, and smirked. I flashed a look at Yusei and nodded, telling him everything was ready.

"I activate the _**Piri Res Map**_ Spell Card!" I played a card that depicted a decaying treasure map. The prisoners queried.

"What can you do with some old piece of paper—"

"It's not paper, it's gazelle skin!" Yanagi protested, "They say that the—"

"THERE HE GOES AGAIN!"

"ENOUGH WITH THE LECTURES, PROFESSOR!"

"The _**Piri Res Map**_ can show a Monster with no Attack Points a clear path from my Deck to my hand," I explained as the Duel Disk slid a card from the middle of the Deck, which I took gratefully.

"So does that mean you draw another card?" Tanner asked.

"I'm not just drawing the card, I'm Summoning it. I Summon the _**Cabrera Stone**_!" I announced. The Monster I brought out resembled a giant onyx stone with strange white runes on it.

_**Cabrera Stone**_

_**LV 1**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Rock/Effect**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

"However, because of _**Piri Res Map's**_ effect I have to pay half of our Life Points."

_**Shin/Yusei LP:**__** 200**_

_**Tanner LP:**__** 3000**_

"What's that rock gonna do?" one of the prisoners mocked.

"It's a stone!" Yanagi corrected. "The Cabrera Stone, to be exact. They say a lost civilization—"

"NOBODY CARES, OLD MAN!" The prisoners shouted.

But Yanagi just continued, "This is an archeological spectacle! The _**Crystal Skull**_, the _**Cabrera Stone**_, and the _**Asoka Pillar**_! I'm getting historical goose bumps! The world's best museums don't hold collections as rare as these!"

"There's something I don't get; the downside of that map is that you have to pay half your Life Points in order to Summon that rock you added to your hand. That leaves you with only 200 life points. Why would you put yourself at such risk like that to Summon something with no Attack Points?"

"To win this duel," I answered. "You see, when _**Crystal Skull**_, _**Asoka Pillar**_ and _**Cabrera Stone**_ are on the field together, I'm allowed to activate a certain card. I reveal my facedown; the Spell Card, _**Triangle-O**_!" a small glowing circle appeared on the floor, which divided into three circles, which quickly spread and formed into a triangle, hence the name. The triangle grew until it blanketed the entire field. Every Monster inside it began to crack and crumple.

"What kind of hocus-pocus is this?" Tanner demanded.

"Amazing! I can't wait to see what this can really do!" Yanagi said excited.

"Incredible…" Juno said from her place next to me (she doesn't talk that much, does she?).

"_**Triangle-O's**_ power destroys every card on the field!" I explained as the artifacts started to break into pieces, as well as Tanner's _**Giant Ushi Oni**_, "And all the damage I would've taken from the cards' effects…gets dealt to you! So why don't you respect that, Tanner!" The ancient treasures and _**Ushi Oni**_ collapsed, the giant fragments of what was left of them rocketing straight towards the other Duelist.

_**Zero/Yusei LP:**__** 200**_

_**Tanner LP:**__** 0**_

The Duel Disks deactivated and Tanner fell to his knees in defeat.

"I… I don't believe it," Tanner fell to the floor on one knee.

"Tanner!" the prisoners rushed over to their leader.

"Oh boy, that as stupendous!" Yanagi cheered as Yusei and I reunited the two halves of the old man's Deck. "I've traveled the world, but I've never seen dueling like that! You didn't even attack! Oh I could hug you right now, but don't worry cause I won't."

"We couldn't have done it without this awesome Deck of yours." Yusei complimented as he handed Yanagi back his Deck.

"Actually… I will hug ya'!" Yanagi said as he jumped and hugged Yusei.

"Don't worry Tanner" said a prisoner as said Duelist stood up. "They're still trash to us!"

"Yeah, and we'll take that Treasure Deck!" another added as they all started forward. However, Tanner stopped them in their tracks.

"Hang on!" Tanner said as he walked towards the three of us (four, if you count the goddess that no one else can see). "You won a Duel without ever attacking once. That's a pretty big thing to pull off. The old man was right, I used to be a pro, so I know a couple of good Duelists when I see them. So, you newbies got names?"

"It's Yusei." The spiky-haired Duelist replied.

"And I'm Zero." I added

"Hey, Gramps, I'm sorry for stepping on your cards earlier." Tanner apologized.

"Aw, that's alright." Yanagi replied with a toothy grin, holding up the four cards that had won the Duel. "Now take a look at these. You had me doubting their worth, but these two young lads showed me how special they truly are."

"What gramps said earlier is right. I used to be a Pro Duelist, but that was a long time ago. My time in the spotlight is over, but I wanna' do everything I can to get you two to the world of Pro Dueling." Tanner continued. "What do you say?"

"I'm in." Yusei replied as he and Tanner shook hands.

"I'm there too." I added as Tanner and I bumped fists.

"Alright, alright, break it up, fellas!" a guard spoke up from behind the group. They turned around to see a pair of guards walking towards them. "Let's go 88, and you as well 22. The chief wants a few words with you." Yusei and I looked toward each other and complied, walking away with the two guards.

'_This'll be fun…'_ I thought.

_**Okay, well there's chapter 3 fellas! Next chapter, we've got some business with the Chief to take care of, as well as an interesting event that I think you'll all be interested in.**_


	5. Bound in Chains

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 4: Bound In Chains—**_

"Alright, alright, break it up, fellas!" a guard spoke up from behind the group. They turned around to see a pair of guards walking towards them. "Let's go 88, and you as well 22. The chief wants a few words with you." Yusei and I looked toward each other and complied, walking away with the two guards.

'_This'll be fun…'_ I thought.

"Hey Chief, we brought the kids." The guard spoke into the device. "You ready for em'?"

"**Yeah, bring em' in." **A bellowing voice replied from the device. The door opened and the guards led us inside a room that resembled part of a research laboratory. I quickly spotted the man whom I knew was in charge of the Facility; a very large man with tanned skin, black hair, and a spiky-looking goatee. He wore the standard uniform for a police officer, but the only difference were the sleeves, which were rolled up all the way to the man's shoulders.

"So, what do you boys think of the Facility so far?" the man, known as Chief Takasu Armstrong, asked Yusei and I mockingly as he looked down at us from his height. "I'm sure it smells a lot better than what you're used to in the Satellite. As does my anchovy-and-onion breath, wouldn't you agree?" Armstrong then blew a puff of air in our faces, which made me cringe.

"I _think_ I'd like to know why you wanted me here too." I stated.

"Heh. Nothing much." Armstrong answered with a hefty laugh. "But the fact that you two were both at the same place at the same time makes you equally suspicious."

Armstrong then walked behind Yusei and brought the Duelists' arm back behind him, Yusei grunting in pain in response. The Chief then proceeded to pull up Yusei's right glove and sleeve, exposing his forearm. "Rumor has it that you might be hiding something, and it's my job to find out if you are." When he saw nothing was there (which I expected), the Chief smirked and shoved Yusei towards a pair of scientists, who in turn escorted the spiky-haired Duelist out of the room via another door and down the hall on the other side.

"What are you planning Armstrong!?" I demanded upon seeing my acquaintance being taken away.

"Oh, looks like I have a feisty one on my hands." Armstrong mocked. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you, Zero! Or would you prefer Mr. Zero? Haha! Otherwise I'll have to beat some respect into ya'. And trust me, it won't be very pleasant."

"Please, like I'm scared of something like that." I scoffed. Armstrong growled softly, clearly beginning to get mad at me for my attitude. But as soon as he became mad, he started to chuckle.

"Well, in that case…" the Chief began. "Let's see if your scared of THIS!" Without warning, he aimed a punch at me. Interestingly enough, I was able to see it coming from a mile away, and dodged it without breaking a sweat.

'_Whoa! When could I do that…?'_

"C'mon, you're the Chief of this place. Surely you can do better than that." I challenged. Armstrong growled again.

"Alright then... You just earned yourself a Duel." Armstrong said. "And it's against yours truly!" This piqued my interest.

"A Duel, huh?" I repeated.

"That's right. My word is the law here and if you don't comply, then it's an automatic defeat." Armstrong replied with a smug grin. "And let's make things interesting. If you happen to win, then I'll halve the sentences of all the inmates and let you and that other kid walk right out of here, free as a bird. But if I win, then you and Yusei are gonna' be permanent inmates. I'm a man of my word, so don't worry about me going back on that deal."

"Same here." I replied with a smirk. "But I have a better idea."

"Oh?" Armstrong wondered with mock interest.

"If I win, then _every_ inmate here gets set free, and _all_ their stuff gets returned to them." I explained. "And if you win, then we'll all go into permanent lockdown."

"Heh... Alright fine. You got yourself a deal. Oh, I forgot that you have no cards on ya'." Armstrong replied with a laugh. "Alright, tell you what, I'll give ya' a break. Go collect any cards you can find so you can at least Duel. And don't even think about getting Tanner and the old man's Decks because they're confiscated."

'_Damn you Armstrong!'_ I mentally cursed the Chief. _'I figured he would've seen me and Yusei Dueling Tanner, but I didn't think he'd actually confiscate their Decks. Heh, but it doesn't matter in the end…'_

"We Duel tonight at 8:30 sharp at The Hive! That'll give ya enough time to get some cards. Don't be late!" Armstrong informed.

"I'll be there." I returned.

"Alright, put him back in his cell!" Armstrong ordered a pair of guards. The officers nodded and led me, having calmly complied, out of the room.

…

A few minutes later, I was thrown into my cell. I walked to the window and managed to whisper to Yanagi.

"Hey gramps, is Yusei back yet?" I asked.

"No, and I'm getting' real worried cuz' of that." Yanagi replied. As if on cue, a pair of guards had come by with Yusei in between them. They opened the door to his cell and tossed him in with Yanagi.

"Have a nice trip!" one of the guards sneered.

"And see ya next fall!" the other added in before they both walked off.

"You look horrible! What happened to ya'?" I heard Yanagi ask.

"Yusei, you alright?" I asked from my window.

"I'm fine. They did nothing... just ran some tests." Yusei answered.

"Tests?" Yanagi asked.

"They must've been looking for the mark that appeared on my arm when the Crimson Dragon showed up at the Kaiba Dome."

"Of course they were." I whispered. "But why have me there too? There's no way they could know…"

"Zero?" Juno asked in curiosity.

"Anyways, what did Armstrong want with you?" Yusei asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing. He just wanted to have a little chat with me." I answered. "Actually, he did more than that. He outright challenged me to a Duel."

"Say what?" Yusei and Yanagi asked.

"Yep. And this Duel's for all the marbles." I replied. "My victory means that we're all getting out early."

"But what if you lose?" Yanagi asked with worry in his voice.

"You think I'll really lose Gramps?" I asked jokingly, but then became serious. "Anyways, if I lose then we're going into permanent lockdown."

"Why would you agree to something like that?" Yusei questioned.

"Because, I'm a people person, so I know what he's like. And trust me, his kind don't get along well with me." I replied with a hint of bitterness.

"I dunno' bout this sonny." Yanagi commented. "I hear that the Chief's Deck is supposed to be tough to beat, and that he's never lost a Duel. And besides, what about your Deck?"

I looked around to make sure no guards were nearby, and when I was certain that no guards were within earshot, I gave my answer. "Thing about my Deck is that not only is it powerful, but it's almost as rare as your Treasure Deck, Gramps." I explained.

"Whaddaya' mean?" the old man inquired.

"My Deck is made up of cards nobody knows about." I continued. "They're also very powerful. I imagine that bastard will try and use the cameras littered around here to spy on my hand to get an advantage, but he'll be in for a rude awakening."

"You figured all that out by yourself?" Yusei asked.

"I have a knack for analyzing stuff." I replied with a shrug. "I guess you could say I'm like a detective."

"Well, let's hope you can win." Yusei added.

"Trust me, I'll win." I assured. "And then I'll get everyone's stuff back, including your cards, Gramps."

"Oh, I just know that we can count on ya', sonny!" Yanagi chimed in.

… …

An hour or so later, I decided to ask a question that was gnawing at me for a while.

"Juno." I whispered. "I wanna' ask you something."

"Hm? Yes?" was her reply.

"Back there with Armstrong… He may not look it, but he knows how to land a hit. That punch of his would have normally been next to impossible to avoid. But I was able to do it effortlessly… Why is that?" I explained.

"I… I'm not sure." Juno replied, though I could tell it was a lie.

'_Hmm… Obviously there are some things she can't tell me right now. Probably Igor's doing.'_ I mentally reasoned. _'But I have a theory. Sad thing is, it'll take time for that theory to be proven or disproven…' _And with that, I continued to lay on my bed and come up with a plan.

… … …

The time was 8:25, I was lying on the bed in my cell, waiting for the guards to escort me. Soon, a pair of guards had come and opened the cell.

"Number 22, it's time." One of the guards informed as I simply stood up and walked out the door. Yusei, Yanagi, and Tanner had requested to come along to watch me Duel, apparently, since they were there too. The guards then led us through the halls of the Facility until we came into the place for my next battle.

The Hive consisted of a massive room littered with doors leading into prison cells, giving the impression that the place was lined with honeycombs, hence the name. Me and the others were led to the central area of The Hive; a small hub-like platform with numerous gantries connecting to other parts of the maximum-security area. Yusei, Yanagi, and Tanner stood at the edge of the hub while I walked further towards the center, staring down Chief Armstrong.

"Glad you could make it. You know the rules say that you're not allowed to have a Deck in The Facility. And you have to have a Deck in order to Duel me." Armstrong informed. "So… since you _are_ showing up empty-handed, I guess that means I win by default! Now, get him and his friends outta my sight!" the guards were about to take us away until I smirked and held my arm out as if to halt the guards, which they did out of surprise.

"I don't think so." I interjected, keeping that smirk on my face. "You see…" I began to unbutton my trench coat before slipping it off calmly. I then reached into the right side of the coat and turned it inside-out, revealing a small pocket on the inner part of the shoulder. I then calmly reached into the small pocket and produced a Deck of cards from it, raising it for everyone to see. Armstrong and everyone else present gasped in surprise.

"Wha-? Where did you get those?!" the Chief demanded. I simply chuckled while still smirking.

"You guys really should buff up your security." I replied calmly. "I've had this Deck the entire time, using the story that it was stolen from me shortly before my arrest, that is, with everyone other than my friends. But in truth, I'd hidden it in this compartment in my coat. A nice little feature I have in order to keep my Deck safe from someone who might try to take it." Armstrong growled in anger. "You see, I'm not one to be reckless, so I take a lot of precautions when entering situations like this."

"That was pretty clever, Zero." Yusei complimented.

"And with this Deck, I'll win and set everyone and everything free!" I added. The prisoners present cheered at the comment, the noise echoing throughout The Hive.

"Shut up you maggots!" Armstrong yelled. The prisoners then quickly settled down. "You won't get away with this!"

"Actually I will, by beating you." I replied with a confident smirk. "The cards in my Deck will make sure of that."

"I don't believe ya'. Do you actually think that you, a Satellite scum can beat the Chief of the Facility?" Armstrong challenged.

"Duel me and find out." I retorted.

Armstrong growled at this. "You two! Hurry up and prepare the Duel Disks!" Both of the guards equipped each player with a standard New Domino City model Duel Disk, a chain was also attached to one of their legs from the floor.

"What's this chain for?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Oh that's… just to make things a little fun. Every time we take Life Point damage, that chain will sort of give you a little…'tickle'."

"Tickle?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Armstrong and I inserted our Decks into our Duel Disks, allowing them to activate.

"DUEL!"

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Armstrong LP: 4000**_

"I'll go first!" Armstrong said as he drew his sixth card. "I Summon my _**Iron Chain Snake**_ in Attack Mode!" As Armstrong played his card, a snake composed purely of chain links appeared on the field.

_**Iron Chain Snake**_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Reptile/Effect**_

_**ATK 800 / DEF 1200**_

"Then I'll place a facedown and end my turn." Armstrong said placing his face down. Let's see, right about now he's making sure he can see my cards. Hmm… Calm. Confusion. More confusion…

… Aaaannd there it is! An attempt at hiding irritation! Beautiful, just beautiful.

"Something wrong?" I asked mockingly. "Got something on your mind?" Armstrong growled.

"Just start your damn turn, maggot."

"Heh. Right, I draw!" I announced, beginning my turn. "From my hand, I Summon _**Persona of The Lovers – Io **_in Attack Mode!" As I played my card, a grey-skinned woman with blond hair, and wearing a pink dress appeared. The big thing about her was that she was sitting inside I giant floating cow skull that also kind of looked like a bed. Metal shackles also bound her hands and feet to her floating mount.

_**Persona of The Lovers – Io**_

_**LV 3**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1000 / DEF 1300**_

"Now attack _**Iron Chain Snake**_!" I commanded. Upon order, the _**Persona**_ raised her arms, greenish wind beginning to stir up underneath the metal snake.

"I reveal my Trap Card, _**Shadow Spell**_! When your Monster attacks, my Trap stops it. And guess what? It loses 700 of its Attack Points and it can't change its Battle Position. The Trap Card shot out chains to wrap around the floating skull, effectively restraining it. _**(Io – ATK 1000-300)**_

"Damn… I'll end my turn with two face-downs then." I said, finishing my turn by placing two reversed cards into the Spell/Trap Zones.

"My move now!" Armstrong said and drew his card. "Now I Summon my _**Iron Chain Repairman**_ in Attack Mode!" A greasy man with greyish skin appeared, wearing overalls with chains for straps, a red bandana and goggles over his eyes. The man wielded an intimidatingly large sledgehammer as well.

_**Iron Chain Repairman**_

_**LV 4**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Warrior/Effect**_

_**ATK 1600 / DEF 1200**_

"Next I activate the Spell Card, _**Paralyzing Chain **_from my hand. Whenever a card is sent from my opponent's Deck to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can inflict 300 damage to my opponent's Life Points. But that's not all…"

"Just as I thought…" I mumbled.

"I activate _**Iron Chain Snake's**_ special ability! I can equip it to one of your Monsters and it loses 800 of its Attack and Defense points. So I'll equip it to _**Io**_!" The snake then lunged forward and wrapped its' coils around the woman inside the skull, restraining the _**Persona**_ even more. _**(Io – ATK 300-0)**_

"_**Iron Chain Repairman**_ attack his Monster now!" Armstrong ordered. The greasy man jumped up, swung his sledgehammer, and smashed my Monster underneath it, making it shatter into pixels.

_**Zero LP: 2400**_

_**Armstrong LP: 4000**_

I braced myself for the pain to come, but oddly enough, I only felt the equivalent of a normal static shock.

'_Huh?'_ I wondered.

"Eh?" Armstrong wondered, clearly confused as to why I wasn't in pain. "Damn generator must be actin' up."

'_I don't think so.'_ I thought to myself. _'That should, in theory, have been enough electricity to have me doubling over right now… But why aren't I? Was I right before?'_

"Oh, I forgot to mention, whenever _**Iron Chain Repairman**_ destroys a Monster, you lose 300 Life Points!" Armstrong added as a surge of electricity shot through the chain attached to me again, subsequently flowing into my body. I didn't even feel anything that time, but it still cost me Life Points.

_**Zero LP: 2100**_

_**Armstrong LP: 4000**_

"Well, that could have gone better." I deadpanned.

"And that's not all. Since my _**Iron Chain Snake**_ was sent to the Graveyard with your Monster, you have to discard one card to the Graveyard for every Level of the destroyed Monster. Since your _**Persona of The Lovers**_ was Level 3, you discard three cards." I took the top three cards from my Deck and reluctantly slid them into the Graveyard slot on my Duel Disk. "Now my _**Paralyzing Chain **_activates. Whenever a card or cards are sent from the Deck to the Graveyard by a card effect, 300 Life Points will be shocked out of you." Once again, my Life Points decreased further, but with no physical reaction from me.

_**Zero LP: 1800**_

_**Armstrong LP: 4000**_

"C'mon now Satellite! Don't give up halfway! You're getting the full beating!" Armstrong yelled with a hint of mockery in his voice. "I'll end my turn from there."

'_This is bad, if I don't make a comeback, and soon, I'll lose for sure.'_ I panicked. I reached for my Deck, closed my eyes, and pleaded for a miracle. "I draw!" I slowly looked at the card I had drawn and the corners of my mouth turned up slightly.

'_C'mon, don't let me down!'_ I thought.

"Since you control a Monster while I have none, I'm allowed to Special Summon _**Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya **_from my hand in Defense Mode!" I explained as my next Monster was a woman clad all in pink with black tights, pink feet (which kind of looked like pegs), and a pink flower scarf attached to her wrists at the ends. Her head was also pink, shaped like a helmet with a flower attached to it, and she had glowing yellow eyes. She raised her arms in front of her as if the scarf would protect her from anything.

_**Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya**_

_**LV 3**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 700 / DEF 1200**_

"Haha! What's that supposed to do? Shower me with flowers until I die?" Armstrong mocked.

"You'd be surprised." I replied. "Now, I Summon _**Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe**_!" Upon playing my next card, the yellow jumpsuit-wearing woman appeared.

_**Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe**_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 600 / DEF 0**_

"Next, I activate my facedown!_** Persona Skill: Recarm**_!" I continued. "Now, since I managed to conduct a Normal Summon this turn, I'm allowed to bring back a _**Persona**_ or _**Soul**_ from my Graveyard. I choose to bring back a Monster you sent there with _**Paralyzing Chain**_! I Special Summon _**Persona of The Emperor – Take-Mikazuchi**_!" As if on cue, a tarot card covered in blue flames appeared on the field, shattering like glass and causing the flames to spread across my field, revealing a new Monster. This one was a large, hulking, metallic figure. He was jet-black in color and had a skeleton pattern on his body, while also carrying a large gold lightning bolt-shaped weapon.

_**Persona of The Emperor – Take-Mikazuchi**_

_**LV 5**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic**_

_**ATK 1900 / DEF 2000**_

"Now, I'm going to activate a Spell Card known as _**Power of The Heart**_!" I continued, playing a card that showed Tomoe in the foreground, while another figure's silhouette stood in the background. "This let's me choose a _**Persona **_on my field, and send them to the Graveyard in order to Summon a stronger Monster from my Deck!"

"Wait, what?" Armstrong asked.

"I'll send _**Konohana Sakuya**_ to the Graveyard in order to give rise to something stronger!" I said as _**Konohana**_ transformed into a tarot card I recognized, representing the Priestess Arcana. The card then shattered, releasing a large wave of blue flames that engulfed my field for a moment.

When the flames vanished, a new figure stood in the place of the pink _**Persona**_. This figure bore a resemblance to Konohana, but her entire body was set aglow, save for the new silvery white scarf attached to her wrists. The scarf also now sported a pair of red gems on the ends, while she also carried a katana in one hand, and a scabbard in the other.

_**Advanced Priestess Persona – Amaterasu**_

_**LV 5**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1900 / DEF 1600**_

"W-what the-?" Armstrong exclaimed. "What's that?"

"Meet _**Konohana's**_ second form, _**Advanced Priestess Persona – Amaterasu**_." I explained. "The card I just played allows me to… 'evolve' my _**Personas**_ into a stronger form."

"Whoa, that's somethin', I'll tell ya what." Yanagi said.

"To think that cards like that existed." Tanner said in thought.

"Now I'll activate the special ability of _**Tomoe**_!" I added. "This allows me to bypass your Monsters for a direct attack! Which brings me to my Battle Phase!" _**Tomoe**_ leaped into the air and soared right over my opponent's Monster, hitting Armstrong with her naginata.

_**Zero LP: 1800**_

_**Armstrong LP: 3400**_

"I'll be nice and leave your precious _**Repairman**_ be." I stated. "But I'll now activate the effect of _**Amaterasu**_. Once a turn, I can banish a card in my Graveyard to gain 400 Life Points for each card in my hand." I took out a Trap Card, _**Recarm**_, from my Graveyard and pocketed it. "Now I gain 400 Life Points for each of the 3 cards in my hand, totaling 1200."

_**Zero LP: 3000**_

_**Armstrong LP: 3400**_

Armstrong growled in irritation. "You quite done yet…?"

I chuckled. "Sure, go on ahead after I place this facedown." I said as I did just that.

"Alright, I draw!" Armstrong said as he drew his next card. "I activate _**Iron Chain Repairman's**_ special ability! I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower _**Iron Chain **_Monster from my Graveyard. You're lucky I can't attack with him when I activate the effect. So I bring back my _**Iron Chain Snake**_!" _**Repairman**_ slammed his hammer on the ground and the chain snake reappeared.

_**Iron Chain Snake**_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Reptile/Effect**_

_**ATK 800 / DEF 1200**_

"Now I Summon the Tuner Monster, _**Iron Chain Coil**_!" A strange monster with a cone for a torso, and a sphere for both its' upper body and head appeared. Its' arms were chains tipped with gloves, and large white eyes also decorated its head.

_**Iron Chain Coil**_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Machine/Tuner**_

_**ATK 1100 / DEF 1600**_

"Now I Tune my Level 3 _**Iron Chain Coil**_ with my Level 3 _**Iron Chain Snake**_!" Armstrong announced. _**Iron Chain Coil**_ turned into three green rings while _**Iron Chain Snake**_ turned into 3 star-like spheres. The stars lined up in the tunnel the rings had lined up to form, creating a massive burst of light. "I Synchro Summon my _**Iron Chain Dragon**_!" Armstrong cackled as a dark blue dragon with a serpentine body burst from the light produced by the Synchro Summon. Plates of black armor guarded its head and spine. Stag-like horns rose from its head, and its only limbs were bat-like wings. Links of chain wrapped around its chest and tail, which ended in a feather-like flap of skin that lashed wildly through the air.

_**Iron Chain Dragon**_

_**LV 6**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Dragon/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 2500 / DEF 1300**_

"Now my Dragon will attack that Persona of The chariot of yours!" Armstrong said as his Monster charged up a blast of energy in his mouth before releasing it at _**Tomoe**_.

"I activate the Spell Card, _**Cadenza**_!" I countered. The card I flipped over depicted Orpheus and Apsaras from the _Persona Series_ side by side with a green aura surrounding them. "When I activate this card, your attack is negat6ed and I gain 1000 Life Points!"

"Say what?!" Armstrong asked in shock as a green aura shot up around my Monsters, allowing them to dodge the attack effortlessly while my Life Points were restored.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Armstrong LP: 3400**_

"Grr… You just got lucky, you little punk!" Armstrong snapped.

"Or maybe you're just not as good as you think." I replied. "To be honest, if I were to stop holding myself back forcibly, you'd be beaten to a pulp by now."

"Grr... Damn you Satellite. I end my turn." Armstrong growled.

'_Alright, I think it's about time I showed this guy what a _real_ Monster is.'_ I thought to myself.

"My move!" I yelled and drew my card. "And game over for you."

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about?" Armstrong asked.

"I have everything I need to take you down." I replied. "First, I'll activate Double Summon! And with it, I'm Summoning _**Persona of The Emperor – Polydeuces**_, and Releasing _**Tomoe**_ in order to Summon _**Persona of The Lovers – Himiko**_!" As I played the cards, the syringe-armed man appeared along with a new Monster, this one being a woman wearing a white dress while holding a crown-like object in her hands. Her face was nothing more than a satellite dish, with what looked like large earrings attached to her head where her ears would be.

_**Persona of The Emperor – Polydeuces **_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Warrior/Effect**_

_**ATK 1000 / DEF 1200**_

_**Persona of the Lovers – Himiko**_

_**LV 5**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic**_

_**ATK 1700 / DEF 2000**_

"This doesn't look good…" Armstrong said nervously, noticing how my field outnumbered his. "Heh, but you still don't have anything to beat _**Iron Chain Dragon**_." I chuckled in response.

"Not yet." I said. "I activate one of _**Polydeuces'**_ abilities, with it, I can Special Summon a _**Persona**_ or _**Soul **_from my hand! I choose to Summon none other than _**Emperor Soul**_!" As I played my card, a figure made of dark purple energy appeared on my field. He had the overall shape of a young man with spiked back hair. He appeared to be holding a folding chair in a rather aggressive manner.

_**Emperor Soul**_

_**LV 3**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

"Now I'll show you what a real Synchro Monster is, by Tuning my Level 3 _**Emperor Soul**_ with my Level 5 _**Take-Mikazuchi**_!" I said as my Monsters rose into the air, performing the same process as last time, but this time, _**Take-Mikazuchi**_ turned into the card of the Emperor Arcana while the new _**Soul**_ turned into purple energy that flowed into the tarot card.

"_The Arcana is the means by which souls are bound! Courage in times of trial will clear the way with striking thunder! Synchro Summon! Dominate, _**Ultimate Emperor Persona – Takeji-Zaiten**_!"_

In the place of _**Take-Mikazuchi**_ was a new Monster that bore great resemblance to him, save for a few differences. For one, this new _**Persona**_ was easily taller than his predecessor, who was twice my height to begin with. He was also white instead of black, and instead of a skeleton pattern on his body, this new Monster sported orange flame patterns on its' arms and legs, a white cape also flowing behind the new being. He had an interesting head, since he had a large golden mustache-thing (I dunno what that is, really) that curved like a boomerang, while a golden armor plate was placed on his forehead. In his crimson-colored hands he wielded an orange sword shaped like a flame.

_**Ultimate Emperor Persona – Takeji Zaiten**_

_**LV 8**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 3000 / DEF 2700**_

I could see the panic on Armstrong's face clear as day at this point. "O-Oh, boy…"

"Now, _**Takeji-Zaiten**_, attack that dragon with **Ziodyne**!" I commanded. The hulking metallic _**Persona**_ took his sword and slammed it into the ground blade-first, causing a massive lightning bolt to shoot down out of nowhere and strike Armstrong's Monster dead-on, making it shatter into pixels.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Armstrong LP: 2900**_

"W-Wait, hold on! Time out!" Armstrong panicked.

"_**Amaterasu,**_ attack _**Iron Chain Repairman**_ with** Agidyne**!" I commanded. The glowing woman spun once on her heels, as if doing ballet, and within an instant, an explosion of flames had obliterated the greasy repairman.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Armstrong LP: 2600**_

"_**Himiko**_, attack with **Bash**!"

The satellite-faced _**Persona**_ leaped forward and struck the chief with her crown.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Armstrong LP: 900**_

"And finally… _**Polydeuces**_, end this with **Sonic Punch**!" I ordered. _**Polydeuces**_ ran forward, his hand glowing with whitish energy.

"H-Hang on, can't we just talk about this?!" Armstrong exclaimed, but it was too late as my Monster's fist made contact with the chief's gut, knocking him back onto his ass and depleting the last of his Life Points.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Armstrong LP: 0**_

"I can't believe it…" Tanner commented in sheer surprise.

"A One-Turn Kill…" Yusei finished Tanner's sentence. The prisoners began screaming and cheering at the top of their lungs in celebration of my victory.

"You did it!" One prisoner yelled.

"Yeah! He beat Armstrong!" Another added.

"Now we're all free!" A third screamed. Yusei, Yanagi, and Tanner then walked up to me as I reassembled my Deck, placed it back in my deck holder, and slipped my coat back on and buttoning it back up.

"Nicely done Zero." Yusei complimented.

"Sonny, that was the most amazing Duel I've ever seen! That last play you did was just stupendous!" Yanagi said happily dancing around like a child in a toy store.

"Yeah, who would've thought that you could pull off a One-Turn Kill like that!" Tanner added with an extra pat on my back. Armstrong then slowly got up onto his feet, his head cast down and his fists clenched tightly.

"Alright Armstrong, I won the Duel, so set us free and give back all the cards you've confiscated!" I said. Armstrong growled, probably pissed that he'd lost to me as easily as he had.

"Put them all in permanent lockdown!" Armstrong ordered as he lifted his head back up with an angry glare aimed straight at the me. Needless to say, that pissed everyone off.

"What!?" Yusei asked in anger.

"You damn bastard! We had a deal!" I yelled.

"What deal? I never made any kind of deal with ya'! Take 'em away!" Armstrong replied with a wicked grin on his face. The guards walked up to Yusei, Tanner, Yanagi and I, holding the other's hands behind their backs, and headed for me too. Prisoners left and right began shouting in anger and protest at what Armstrong had done.

"Shut your mouths! All of you! I'm the law here in the Facility and what I say goes!" Armstrong yelled in reply to the complaints.

"I believe that's quite enough Mr. Armstrong!" A voice called out calmly.

"Who the hell said that!?" Armstrong asked in anger. He looked around and then looked up. Almost as quickly as his anger had surfaced, it was instantly replaced by fear and surprise. Me and the others looked in the direction that Armstrong was gazing. On the balcony, there was a man with long grey hair that reached down to his back. He wore a bluish-grey suit with matching pants, and black dress shoes. The shirt he wore underneath the suit's coat bore an insignia that resembled a condor spreading its wings.

"D-Director Goodwin?!" Armstrong asked in shock.

"I saw that entire Duel from start to finish. And I've heard what the terms were as well. It seems the only thing going away is you. I can't see how the Facility can ever be run properly if there isn't a level of trust between guard and inmate. Pack your things Mr. Armstrong. You're fired." Goodwin said calmly. The grey-haired man glanced at Yusei for a few brief seconds before walking off without another word, leaving Armstrong alone with his thoughts.

… … … …

At the makeshift Dueling arena, Yusei, Yanagi, Tanner and I stood in the middle of the room. All the other prisoners had already left along with the confiscated cards that they'd received from the guards. Tanner and Yanagi had gotten their Decks back as well.

"Thanks a lot Zero. I don't know what we'd do if you'd lost that duel." Tanner said gratefully.

"It's no problem. I'm just glad that all of us got out of here free, and that bastard Armstrong got fired." I replied. "Maybe the next Chief will be a lot better than the likes of him."

"Yeah, but we still need my Duel Runner. And my Deck is there with it." Yusei chimed in.

"Mine is actually hidden, just like my Deck was." I replied. "It's back at the Kaiba Dome in a place that it isn't easily spotted.

What? I'm just taking precautions. I had a feeling that I'd get arrested, so I hid my ride tom keep it from getting confiscated.

"Actually, now that you mention it, I overheard the guards talking about your sweet ride. It's at the Security Impound Center. Here, take this." Tanner said as he pulled out a card from his pocket and gave it to Yusei; _**Giant Ushi Oni**_. "Take this to a bar called 'Bootleg' and show it to the bartender there. Order some milk and ask for the 'Jack of All Trades'. He'll help you out."

"Alright." Yusei replied.

"Now you two stay out of trouble, alright?" Yanagi said.

"Yeah, Gramps. We'll be just fine." I said.

"Oh, and real quick before ya' go, I wanna give ya somethin' as a thank-you." Yanagi said as he reached into the fold of his robe and pulled out a card, which he gave to me.

"_**Totem Pole**_?" I asked, recognizing the card. I tried to give the old man the Trap Card back, but he wouldn't take it. "Gramps, I can't take this. It's your card isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I want you to have it. So don't argue and just take it already." Yanagi insisted. After a second, I nodded and placed the card on top of my Deck before pocketing it again.

As Yusei and I walked out of the Facility, I decided to give him the news now.

"Yo, Yusei." I said as I slowed down. The Turbo Duelist stopped as well and looked back at me.

"Yeah?"

"I hate to tell you this, but I can't go and help you get your Runner back, I have some stuff I need to do myself. Yusei seemed to understand and nodded.

"Well, if that's the case, then good luck." He said. "Let's hope we can meet again."

"Same to you."

And with that, we parted ways. As I walked off in a separate direction, I began to get this feeling of uneasiness. And then, suddenly…

"Huh?"

_**Cliffhanger!**_

_**Alright, so I lied, the 'big event' I mentioned last time won't be happening in this chapter, but it will next time. I'm sure that you Persona fans have been waiting for this, so don't worry, it's almost here.**_

_**Anyways, not much to say, so see you next chapter, which will actually be released at the same time as this one, so you don't have to wait to see what happens.**_

_**Also, starting next chapter, make sure to look for strange-looking text.**_

_**Anyways, until next time.**_


	6. Awakening

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 5: Awakening—**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!. All credit goes to its' creators and Kazuki Takahashi. I do not own the Persona Series either, it belongs to ATLIUS. If I DID own Persona, the original game and the dual-ology would have been much better.**_

Somewhere in the vast expanse of reality, in a realm that no human has ever entered, a lone figure stood within a darkened chamber, viewing events through a portal. His eyes were fixed on two figures being shown in the portal; a young man with teal hair and crimson eyes, and a young woman with silvery white hair with blue highlights added, and green eyes. The figure's eyes narrowed upon the pair as they walked through what appeared to be a city. The lips of the pair moved periodically, but nothing could be heard.

"Hmm…" he pondered. "She definitely works quickly… Though why choose this human? He doesn't seem that special tom me. Although…" he paused for a moment in thought. "His skill with those cards of his seems exceptional. Is that why, then? I would have thought she'd form a Covenant with someone who has the Potential." Once again, he paused his one-sided conversation in thought. "Or is it possible… I have to put this to the test. I must know why she chose him." The figure's eyes glowed a bright blue as he waved a hand over the portal.

_**…**_

As Yusei and I walked out of the Facility, I decided to give him the news now.

"Yo, Yusei." I said as I slowed down. The Turbo Duelist stopped as well and looked back at me.

"Yeah?"

"I hate to tell you this, but I can't go and help you get your Runner back, I have some stuff I need to do myself. Yusei seemed to understand and nodded.

"Well, if that's the case, then good luck." He said. "Let's hope we can meet again."

"Same to you."

And with that, we parted ways. As Juno and I walked off in a separate direction, I began to get this feeling of uneasiness. And then, suddenly…

"Huh?"

Looking around me, I could tell that things weren't normal. For one thing, everything around me and Juno had stopped on a dime, like they had when Juno revealed herself to me. That, and the colors of everything were inverted.

"What the…?" I whispered. I could tell that just by looking Juno was also unsure of the events transpiring.

"**Do you wish to learn the answer…?"** a voice sounded out from everywhere at once.

"The… answer?" I repeated.

"**If so, then you must first prove you have what it takes…"**

"The hell are you talking about?" I called out, but there was no answer. "What 'answer'?" Suddenly, I heard an extremely eerie noise from behind me. I turned around and what I saw made my eyes widen. A few yards away from where we stood, a whole mob of ominous shapes began to crawl along the ground in our direction.

Black goo.

That's pretty much what it looked like. Black goo slithering around on the floor with a blue mask somehow attached to it.

Then, they began to morph as they got closer, turning into what looked like rock-like creatures with skeletal faces. They started moving faster once the transformation was complete, but before they could reach us, Juno grabbed my hand and broke into a run, pulling me along in the process. Before I knew it, we had entered a construction site (don't ask me why there's one here), and approached the thing being built (a large house, by the look of it).

There was no proper entrance, just a hole in one of the concrete walls Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the ground next to us and caused a small-scale explosion. The result was that we were both tossed by the force of the blast into the unfinished building, landing on the ground with a thud.

… Wait, why aren't I in pain? And more importantly, why is the ground soft and warm?

…

…

… Ooooohhhh!

... Right, that makes sense.

I quickly got off a blushing Juno and helped her up as well.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah." She replied. I… really should apologize later, but right now, I need to stay alive for that to happen.

"Good, now we just need to get out of here." I said.

**(BGM – Awakening (from Persona 4).)**

"Those monsters…" Juno said. "… They're called Shadows." I looked at her and nodded.

"I know." I replied. "But… we're doomed if I don't have one of _them_."

"You… you do…" Juno cut in. "It's only partially awakened, but it's there." So, the truth finally comes out. Heh, not like I didn't already have an idea about it. "I can force it to awaken, if you want."

"Force it?" I inquired. "You mean, you can awaken it ahead of schedule?" Juno nodded. "Okay, what's the catch?"

"There's no catch, but you have to trust me." Juno replied. I thought about it before I nodded.

"Right, whatever you're going to do, get it over with quickly, I don't think it'll be hard for those things to find us again."

"Right.. Close your eyes."

Huh? Meh. I did as asked and waited. That was when I realized that I should have asked _what_ she was going to do, because before I knew it, Juno had pressed her lips against mine. I was confused for a second, l but then, for some reason, didn't protest. A second later, Juno' lips split from mine, and I felt a strange pain in my head.

"You should know what to do now…" she whispered. I simply nodded and opened my eyes.

"**I am thou…"**

"That voice…" I whispered.

"**Thou art I"**

The pain in my head was much gentler this time. It still aches but it's bearable, at least.

"**The time has come. Open thine eyes. Call forth what is within!"**

I did as the voice told me. I lifted my hand, my palm facing me. Just then, four of the Shadows chasing us had managed to find us, and began their advance. Not only that, but now I felt a burning sensation in my hand. A bright light began to shine out of the back of my hand. I turned it over to see that my hand now had the number 0 imprinted on it, glowing a deep blue. And then just like that, I knew what to do. A grin bordering on insane formed on my face, and I moved my lips slowly to pronounce every syllable of my next word.

"Per…"

One little word.

"so..."

A single word that manifests the strength of one's heart.

"..._na!_"

In an instant, the mark on my hand began glowing brighter than ever, a large-scale version of the number on my hand forming below my feet. I can't think of the right words to describe the feeling of relief as the power flowed through and out of me. The feeling of intense pressure that power inflicted on me forced me to scream in pain, but I still held firm. This is what has to happen.

As the feeling receded, I knew exactly what was standing behind me. I didn't need to look behind me to know what it looked like, either.

It was humanoid in appearance, but also had many characteristics of a dragon, like it's dark grey scaly skin. It wore a green tunic, like you'd see in medieval times, with silver gauntlets and greaves on its' arms and legs respectively. It's neck was a bit longer than most people's, and its' head was shaped like a dragon's, with three horns that all protruded from its' head; two that curved back just above the brow-line, and one that pointed forward on its nuzzle. In its' left hand, it wielded a longsword, and on its' back, there were two sleek, grey wings. And to top it all off, the being's eyes glowed a bright yellow, which gave off an aura of 'bitch, don't mess with me'.

My Persona.

Percival.

"**Thou art I, and I am thou." **The newcomer spoke.** "From the sea of thy soul I cometh. The road ahead of you leads to a bright future; I shall accompany you and travel by your side. I am Percival; the protector of the righteous."**

**(BGM change – Reach Out to the Truth ~Reincarnation~ (from Persona 4).)**

Juno quickly handed me something, which turned out to be a pair of hook swords. Well, can't say I've ever used one myself, but I've seen them used before. I gripped the weapons tightly and got into a defensive position.

Shadows, eh?...Bring it on, bitches.

I dashed for the closest Shadow, ducking on instinct before it unleashed another lightning attack on me. Hmm… Seems like that's all they can do.

"On your left!" Juno shouted a warning. I jumped to the right to dodge the new enemy that appeared to back up its buddy. Heh. Looks like they're teaming up now. Fun times.

"Any ideas?" I asked anyone who would answer.

"Shadows have weaknesses! Just try stuff out and see if anything works!" was the reply I received. I nodded. Of course, this is a battle where I'm utilizing a Persona. Before I could even think about what skills Percival might have, I somehow knew.

_-Garula, Mighty Swing, Hamaon, Zan-ei, Tarukaja, Sukukaja.-_

Oh, this is gonna be fun.

"**Mighty Swing**!" I called out. Percival obeyed and flew forward at the first Shadow, using his sword to cleave through it with ease. The two new halves of the creature then burst apart into a mess of black goo and ichor.

I love violence!

"Alright, so Physicals aren't it… Let's try this! **Garula**!" I commanded, Percival once again obeyed and flew upwards. With one mighty roar and a strong flap of his wings, greenish wind began to stir up beneath the closest Shadow and soon burst up, creating a brief vortex that slammed the Shadow into the wall, which crumbled via the force. The rock creature didn't die, yet it didn't get up either. I think we have our winner. I repeated the process with the other three Shadows, stunning them. I then ran forward and cut the living hell out of one of the Shadows with my hook swords, reducing it to black goo that eventually evaporated.

"Alright! Just two left!" Juno cheered. Suddenly, the two other Shadows slowly got up from the ground, causing the goddess to gasp.

"**Zan-ei**!" I yelled. Percival held his sword in both hands, swinging it downward and creating a wave of energy that cleaved through one of the remaining enemies quite cleanly, making it burst into black goo and ichor like all the others. "**Hamaon**!" The yellow eyes of Percival glowed, causing a strange golden design to appear on the ground below the Shadow. Slips of what looked like glowing paper appeared and surrounded the enemy. Within an instant, there was a burst of light, which left nothing behind when it died down.

**(BGM End)**

"Good, no enemies are left." Juno said with a sigh. I took a deep breath and relaxed, willing Percival to vanish. He turned into a glowing tarot card that floated down to my face. The picture within the blue framing depicted a man standing on the edge of a cliff with a dog at his heels, at the bottom was the number zero. The card dissipated into a shower of bluish-white sparkles that washed over me.

That…

Was…

… AWESOME!

Then, before I knew it, everything around us has returned to normal.

"Zero? Are you alright?" Juno asked.

"Yeah… Yeah I'm fine." I replied. "And it's all thanks to you Juno." The young goddess then giggled.

"Does that mean you're finally warming up to me?" she asked.

"Heh. I guess it does." I said with a shrug.

"Good, because you're stuck with me anyways." Juno joked, causing us to share a laugh.

_**CRASH!**_

Huh?

Suddenly, everything had taken on a darker color, and time had stopped again. Though this time, I was the only one who was able to move. I saw a tarot card appear in front of me, the card for the Fool Arcana.

"_Thou art I… And I am thou…"_ A voice said. _"Thou hast established a new bond… It brings thee closer to thy fate… Thou shall have our blessing when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…"_ The card transformed into a cloud of bluish sparkles that settled over Juno and myself.

_**CRASH!**_

Seriously? Another one?

A new tarot card appeared in front of me, this one depicting the figures of a man and a woman standing on either side of a tree with a heart placed in it. At the bottom, the card was numbered 'VI', or the Roman numbering of six.

"_Thou art I… And I am thou…"_ the voice repeated. _"Thou hast established a new bond… It brings thee closer to thy fate… Thou shall have our blessing when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…"_ The card transformed into a cloud of bluish sparkles that settled over Juno and I once again.

Huh. Fool and Lovers at the same time? Interesting. First time I can think of where two Social Links were established simultaneously.

At that point, time had resumed again, which led to Juno looking at me strangely.

"Are you alright?" she asked. I blinked before registering what happened.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." I replied. "We… We should get going towards the Kaiba Dome. My Runner's still there." Juno nodded and the two of us started the long walk back to the stadium.

_**Alright, so there you guys go, the first big battle of the story. Now, as fair warning, I'll be waning from the 5D's plot next chapter as well to introduce a new character and get the main plot going. And this'll happen a few other times as well, since I'll be focusing slightly more on the Persona-based plot compared to the 5D's plot.**_

_**Also, if you remember, last chapter I told you to look out for stranger text in this chapter. This… Is the reason.**_

**FES Dictionary**

Potential: The ability of an individual to summon a Persona.

Shadow: Strange creatures that originate from the minds of humans. They come in multiple varieties, and cannot be properly matched in battle unless they are fought by someone with a Persona. They are the 'untamed' form of a Persona.

Persona: The physical manifestation of a person's psyche. A Persona is the reflection of a person's innermost thoughts and feelings. They are Shadows that have been tamed by a person's ego.

Percival: Zero's Persona, a physical reflection of his personality and Persona of the Fool Arcana. Percival has a certain level of resistance to Wind and Light techniques, while being weakened by Earth and Darkness. Currently, he knows the following Skills:

Garula = Med. Wind damage to the target.  
Mighty Swing = Med. Physical damage to the target.  
Hamaon = 60% chance of death from the power of Light.  
Zan-ei = Med. Physical Damage to the target.  
Tarukaja = Attack power boost to one ally.  
Sukukaja = Speed boost to one ally.

Social Link: An emotional tie to another person, similar to a simple friendship or romantic relationship. Social Links appear to only be obtainable by those who possess a Persona of the Fool Arcana. The closer one is to someone they have a Social Link with, the stronger that person can become.

The Fool: One of the Major Arcana, numbered as 0. Personas of this Arcana are considered to be 'jack of all trades' Personas, with no particular preference of Skills. This Arcana is represented by Zero's bond with Juno as a team. Something else to note is that individuals who possess a Persona of the Fool Arcana are considered to be very powerful.

The Lovers: One of the Major Arcana, numbered as VI (6). Personas of this Arcana are commonly associated with Support/Healing attributes, with a few rare exceptions. This Arcana is represented by the personal bond between Zero and Juno.

_**Right, so that'll be a running feature in this story, for those of you who aren't Persona-savvy, and are probably just reading this for the 5D's plot. Sad to say, but that'll only be served pout in chunks. The way I'm doing this, is that there'll be one or two chapters of Persona-based plot, and then a few of 5D's plot, then the occasional chapter where both of those inevitably mix (note that this isn't exactly how it goes, it's just to give you an idea of how the two plots will unfold).**_


	7. Unavoidable Battle

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 6: Unavoidable Battle—**_

As Juno and I made the long trek back to the Kaiba Dome, I began to piece together what I knew so far.

'_Alright, so apparently I have to stop some unknown threat here in this universe, and in order to do that, Juno gave me the power to summon a Persona.'_ I thought. _'However… I still have no idea what I'm up against…' _I glanced at Juno for a brief second before returning to my thoughts.

'_That aside… Judging by that mark that appeared on my arm when Percival awakened, I'd say it's not a long shot to think that I have _that_ power as well…'_ I continued my one-sided conversation as we came up on the stadium. Soon, we had managed to sneak into a hidden back area of the structure, where Reiraku Byakuya was stashed away safely.

I mounted the bike and Juno got on behind me before I revved the engine and shot out into the streets of the city. After a while, I managed to find the location of our special headquarters, to borrow a term from a certain someone. I slowly inched in and parked the bike before dismounting. It was already surprisingly late, so I decided to go ahead and fall asleep, which I did on one of the couches like last night.

_**…**_

…

…

Somehow, this doesn't surprise me. It really doesn't.

I had awoken to the all too familiar sight of the place known as the Velvet Room. The sight of the blue velvet-covered garage brought back memories of the last time I was here, when I had first entered the Velvet Room. And as I expected, Igor was sitting in the same place as before and Juno was now somehow in her spot next to Igor.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my boy." Igor said as he looked up and saw me sitting on a bench that wasn't here before.

"Not this place again…" I said with a sigh.

"Fear not, you are fast asleep in your world while you are wide awake here. As I said last time we met, this place exists between the plains of dream and reality." Igor explained. "I have called you here for a reason."

"That reason being?" I asked, deciding to just go along with it, since I know how this goes already.

"I have called you here because of your recent awakening." Igor replied. "The awakening of your power to be more precise."

"My power?" I asked.

"Your ability to summon a Persona, that is. A Persona is a manifestation of your psyche, a façade of determination that you wear, much like a mask that protects you as you endure life's hardships." Igor explained. "Another way to think of it is that your psyche takes the form of suppressed power, and when controlled by the ego, it awakens as a Persona."

"I think I get it." I replied.

"Hmhm. Good, good." Igor chuckled. "What also amazes me is that it was Percival who heeded your call, this is very interesting. As is the nature of your power, might I add."

"The nature of my power?" I asked, still feigning ignorance.

"Ah yes, your Persona ability is different from most others. Different in the sense that it is special." Igor replied.

"What do you mean by 'special'?" I inquired, hoping to get the answer I was looking for..

"Your power in particular is like the number zero; empty, yet it holds infinite possibilities within itself." Igor explained. "It is a rare thing indeed."

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Your power is known as the Wild Card, meaning that you can wield multiple Personas and use them as you see fit." Igor continued. "It is actually quite intriguing, your power seems to have already developed somewhat, and in more ways than one. It has advanced beyond what I originally anticipated you to be capable of."

Wait, what?

"Allow my assistant to explain." Igor continued. Juno nodded and picked up a book that had been sitting next to her. She then walked over to me and opened it. I immediately recognized this book as the Persona Compendium.

"You see, normally a Wild Card starts with only their Natural Persona, but you already seem to have a number of others."

Aw yeah! New Game Plus baby!

"I have another question actually." I said. "It's about my Persona."

"Ah yes, what was your question?" Igor inquired.

"Is Percival-my Persona I mean- the same Percival from the story of King Arthur?" I asked.

"You are in fact one of the only guests I have had in this room to ask this. But to answer your question; no. The Percival that you know as your Persona is in truth not the same being from the legend of which he is named." Igor explained. "Rather, it is you, a symbol of the past life that you once lived."

"So at one point…I was actually Percival?" I asked.

"Precisely." Igor replied with a chuckle. "The next time you enter this place, it will be of your own accord. But for now, hold onto this, I'm sure you will find it useful when you return here." Igor once again gestured at Juno, who walked over to me and handed me a small blue hey.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"You will soon see." Igor replied. "The next time you come here, I will also tell you of my role in the turning point of your destiny." And with that, Igor, Juno, and the Velvet Room were engulfed in a flash of light and I could feel my consciousness slipping away once more.

_**… …**_

I awoke from my dream once more and sat up. Looking around, Juno was also fast asleep. I laid back down and tried to fall asleep again, but to no success. I eventually got up and walked back into the garage area of the building. Suddenly, I had the feeling one gets when being watched. I looked arounhd, but no one was present. However, I saw a faint blur of movement from outside. I rushed out and what I saw made me freeze.

Standing across the street from me was a girl my age (and just around my height) with long black hair and piercing red eyes. Her attire consisted of some sort of school uniform, a white blouse under a black jacket, skirt, and white tights along with brown shoes. A red ribbon was also tied around the collar of her shirt. One other thing I also noticed was that the girl wore white gloves, and what appeared to be a pair of red and gold headphones on her head.

'_Huh?'_ I wondered.

"Summon it." The girl said plainly.

"Summon… it?" I repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Now summon it, or I'll be forced to take action." The girl replied. Suddenly, her forehead began to glow orange. Closer inspection revealed that the source of the glow was the Roman numeral for five imprinted on her forehead. The same thing then appeared below her feet.

"W-Wait a minute! You're a Persona-User?" I asked in surprise.

"Psyche!" the girl called out. In a burst of orange light, a new entity had appeared behind the girl. Upon seeing the entirety of this entity, I stepped back in surprise.

It was a figure reminiscent of a mannequin, it wore a white silk dress that seemed to almost be attached to the actual body, though it had no feet, nor did it have proper arms. These 'arms' were merely long, white silk gloves that floated in relative proximity to the shoulders. Its' head was also different, in the sense that it wasn't a 'true' head, rather it was just a large, floating red mask that bore the shape of a butterfly.

**(BGM – Unavoidable Battle (from Persona 3).)**

'_N-No way… It's_ that _Persona?'_ I wondered. _'__Psyche__… of the __Hierophant Arcana__.'_

"I guess I have no choice then…" I said. I pulled my hook swords out from the special sheaths on my back, getting into a defensive stance. I then began to concentrate, letting my inner power extend outwards from my body. "Percival!" In an instant, I felt a warmth on the back of my hand, and then, a glowing blue '0' appeared below my feet. I could soon feel something rising up from within me, and without having to look, I knew Percival had appeared.

"So, it's true then." The girl said. Suddenly, she produced an axe from God only knows where and gripped it tightly in both hands. She then proceeded to charge forward with it and swing at my head. I dodged the large weapon effortlessly and managed to snag it in the hooks on my weapons.

Biggest. Mistake. Ever.

This girl is a lot stronger than she looks, and simply just swung the weapon over her head, taking me and my hook swords with it. The motion caused my weapons to unhitch themselves from the body of the axe, with me still hanging on to them, might I add.

Long story short, I'm going to be seriously sore in the morning.

"**Garula**!" I commanded as I slowly stood up. Percival flew upwards and, with a strong flap of his wings, unleashed a strong gust of greenish wind at the girl and her Persona, knocking them back a good distance. "**Zan-ei**!" The draconic warrior then gripped his sword in both hands, energy beginning to charge up in the blade. He then swung it vertically downwards, sending out a wave of energy that hurtled towards the girl and Psyche.

Said Persona then flew in front of its' host, taking the blow instead, though it seemed to cause the girl some pain as well, while also creating a small tear in the Persona's dress. The fact that my opponent also felt pain from that makes sense, since a Persona is connected to its' host in more ways than one.

"**Fatal End**!" the girl called out. Psyche then flew towards me as a blade made of energy materialized above its' mask of a head. The blade then came down on me, but Percival managed to arrive just in time and block and deflect the incoming blade with his own.

"**Mighty Swing**!" I called out.

"**Fatal End**!"

Both Personas acted at once. A new blade materialized above Psyche while the sword Percival wielded began to glow dimly. The energy blade came down on Percival at the same moment he swung his own blade, creating a lock. Both Personas struggled to get the advantage over the other, until I came up with an idea.

"**Tarukaja**!" I commanded. Percival's body then began to glow a dull yellow, as did my own body. I could then feel an increase in my offensive power being made present. Percival then began to overpower Psyche slowly but surely. However…

"**Dekaja**!" the girl shouted. In the same amount of time it took to gain my power boost, it was drained out of me and my persona.

'_Dammit! She got rid of my buff!'_ I mentally cursed. Psyche then got the upper hand in the struggle with Percival, managing to break his defense and land a solid hit in the draconic warrior's chest. I gasped and clutched my own chest as my connection to the Fool Persona caused me to feel everything he did.

"**Garula**!" we both shouted at once. Percival's eyes glowed yellow while Psyche raised her 'arms', and twin gusts of greenish wind blasted forward simultaneously, quickly mixing together and dissipating.

"**Garula**!" the girl shouted again. Once more, a gust of wind blasted forward, but this time, it hit Percival and I dead on, causing me to fly back a bit and hit the ground. I slowly got up and breathed to try and calm my heart down.

'_This… This girl is tough…'_ I thought. _'Who the hell is she…?'_

"**Mighty Swing**!" I called out. Percival's blade began to glow dimly, and he charged forward. However, just as he brought the weapon down on Psyche, a wall-like barrier appeared in front of the mannequin. The very instant the sword hit that barrier, I knew I was screwed. A wave of force made the blade bounce off the barrier and blast my Persona back. I screamed as the pain racked through my body and I fell to the ground again.

I tried to get up, but my body hurt so much that I could only manage to get onto one knee. I looked up and saw that Percival's appearance was being slightly distorted by bluish static that appeared every now and then, which told me he was at his limit, which meant the same for me. I glanced over at the girl and noticed that she was suddenly hesitating to attack.

"What's wrong? I'm defenseless and at my limit. You won't get a better opportunity to end it." I stated.

"I…" she replied. The hell? It's like she doesn't _want_ to kill me.

'_Man… I dunno' how much more of this I can take… I don't remember Psyche knowing Counter…'_ I thought. Suddenly, I began to remember something that I had heard when I had last been in the Velvet Room..

"_Your power is known as the __Wild Card__, meaning that you can wield multiple Personas and use them as you see fit." Igor continued. "It is actually quite intriguing, your power seems to have already developed somewhat, and in more ways than one. It has advanced beyond what I originally anticipated you to be capable of."_

"_You see, normally a Wild Card starts with only their __Natural Persona__, but you already seem to have a number of others."_

'_Could that mean…?'_

I reached for my deck, which was still in its' holder on my waist. I began looking through and then quickly put it back, an idea forming in my head. I closed my eyes and concentrated, ignoring the pain I felt in my body. I imagined Percival changing, being molded into something new, like clay being molded by an artist. I then opened my eyes and saw Percival transforming into a mass of deep blue light. Then the glowing '0' on my hand vanished, being replaced by a new mark on my right shoulder; a 'III' (the Roman numbering of three) that glowed an icy blue, compared to the previous sky blue.

"Come! Penthesilea!" I shouted. A large-scale version of the icy blue mark on my shoulder appeared below my feet.

I felt a weird rush throughout my body as a new being appeared; a female figure that gave off an aura that makes one think of a queen. She wore a dark blue collared shirt with white cuffs at the ends of the sleeves (and a white ascot tucked inside the collar as well), and silver armor over this that also made its' way down to her waist, giving off the appearance of a metal skirt. The woman also wore black leggings, black gloves, and white cuffed boots. In one hand she carried a small dagger, and in the other, a rapier. An iron mask covered her face, while a golden crown rested atop her head.

"H-Huh? He has more than one?" the girl asked out loud.

"**Bufula**!" I commanded. The iron-masked queen then spun through the air once and slashed her dagger through the air. A small pillar of ice appeared out of nowhere and flew upwards at Psyche before striking home. The girl stepped back from the sudden attack, and the pain she felt in response to Psyche talking damage. "**Dia**!" Penthesilea turned towards me and gently touched her rapier to my shoulder, as if she were knighting me. Immediately, I could feel the pain starting to gradually fade. I then stood up and readied myself again, hook swords held in front of me.

"Tomoe!" I yelled. Penthesilea vanished in a flash of blue light, as did the icy blue 'III' on my shoulder, now being replaced by a 'VII' with a greenish glow placed just below the previous mark. Then, as the same mark appeared below my feet, the yellow jumpsuit-wearing samurai from my duel with Armstrong appeared next to me.

"**Fatal End**!" the girl shouted. Psyche tried to attack me again, but I managed to barely dodge the incoming blade.

"**Skewer**!" I commanded. Tomoe rushed forward and spun her naginata before thrusting one end forward, puncturing the chest of the mannequin in the process. The girl gasped in pain as a result. "**Tarukaja**!" Upon command, Tomoe twirled her naginata again, and a dull yellow aura shot up around her body and mine. "Take-Mikazuchi!" Tomoe vanished in place of the hulking black metal figure from my last duel.

"**Garula**!" the girl responded. A gust of wind from Psyche managed to knock my Persona back a good bit, and bring back some of that old pain. I managed to get up from the attack and resumed.

"**Kill Rush**!" Take-Mikazuchi tossed his lightning bolt-shaped weapon into the air and stormed forward before bombarding Psyche with three strong punches, and catching his weapon as it returned to earth. "Percival!" Upon my shout, my Natural Persona returned to the battlefield. He then flew forward and delivered what I was certain was the finishing blow to Psyche, and as a result, the mysterious girl. She fell to the ground as her Persona vanished in a shower of bluish sparkles. Percival vanished as well and I breathed slowly to relax myself.

**(BGM End)**

Suddenly, I felt a slight rush of power inside of myself, almost as though something changed.

'_**Percival has learned Mind Slice…'**_ A voice similar to my own mentally informed me.

I walked over to the girl and looked at her curiously, something not quite sitting right with me.

'_Something's not normal about this girl… but what?'_ I wondered. _'That Persona of hers… I've seen it before, I know it… But it shouldn't exist anymore… And there's also her strange behavior…'_

"That couldn't be it." I said quietly, a crazy idea forming in my head. "Though… It would explain a lot." I looked around and made sure that no one was around, because I'd really rather not have someone see what I'm about to do. I knelt down and reached out towards her unconscious body. I slowly unbuttoned the jacket she wore, then then half the buttons on the blouse underneath, and as I pulled the clothing back, what I saw made me gasp.

What I saw definitely explained just about everything. Underneath the jacket and blouse wasn't human skin, rather there was a black shirt-like garment over the chest. But that's not the craziest part; what should've been bare shoulders was actually very complex-looking machinery, barely visible underneath gold armor-like plating. I also noticed bits of gold armor plating over the chest as well.

Well, that answers most of the questions I had.

I redid the buttons on the mechanical girl's clothing and picked her up bridal style. I then made my way back inside my small hideout. I gently placed her on the floor against the wall of the couch I used as a bed and then quietly flopped onto said couch, exhausted from the battle.

_**Right, so there's the chapter folks. Now, regarding this mystery girl; I'll go on and say that she will in fact be a main character. Also, those of you who have played Persona 3 and Persona 4 Arena should already know exactly what she is. Hell, if you've played The Answer on P3FES, then you'll recognize her.**_

_**Anyways… Now for the terms I need to define. To be quite frank, I could have defined the first and second terms in the last chapter, but I decided against it, for whatever reason.**_

**FES Dictionary**

Velvet Room: A mysterious room that exists in the void that lies between all things. Only people who have formed a contract (whether literal or symbolic) seem to be capable of entering the room or seeing its' entrances.

Igor: The proprietor of the Velvet Room. He generally does little in helping his guests, aside from aiding in Persona fusion, and granting access to the Persona compendium.

Persona Compendium: A book that has a tie with the soul of the current guest in the Velvet Room. It records all the Personas that individual has acquired, which can be recalled from it at any time.

Wild Card: A rare variant of the Persona ability. Those that possess it are considered to be very powerful, as they can summon and carry multiple Personas and switch them in battle at any given time. Wild Card-users are generally identified as individuals whose Natural Persona is from the Fool Arcana.

Natural Persona: The Persona that one acquires upon awakening to their power for the first time. This is usually the only Persona that person can summon, unless they awaken to the power of the Wild Card.

Psyche: A Persona of the Hierophant Arcana, and a reflection of the personality of the mysterious girl. Psyche has an affinity towards Physical attacks, but is also capable of utilizing attacks with Ice and Wind properties. Currently, it knows these Skills:

Dekaja = Removes all -kaja Skills from all enemies.  
Garula = Med. Wind damage to the target.  
Fatal End = Med. Physical Damage to the target.  
Counter = 10% chance of repelling a Physical attack.

Hierophant Arcana: One of the Major Arcana, numbered as V (5). Personas of this Arcana have no particular weaknesses, yet they lack any true strengths as well.


	8. Deduction

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 7: Deduction—**_

_**Welp, here's the next chapter. In this one, we'll be blending the plots together slightly, and next chapter, we'll get a bit more into the 5D's plot as the Fortune Cup approaches. Not only that, but you'll get to see the detective side of Zero come out. I hope there are some Death Note fans reading this, because I'll be making a slew of Death Note references near the end.**_

_**Disclaimer: You get the idea.**_

Ahhh… morning. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, a robot girl is in my personal space, and-

…Wait what?

…

GAH!

"W-What the hell are you doing?!" I asked as I snapped awake at the sight of a robot girl staring straight at me while sitting on the floor.

"I regained consciousness a while ago, so I decided to watch over you until you woke up." She replied. "Is this a problem?"

"Sort of yeah." I said as I calmed my heart down from that little surprise.

"Hm? Zero? What's…" I could tell by the fact that Juno's voice had trailed off that she'd just woken up and seen this girl. "Who's this girl?"

"Yeah… That's the funny part." I replied as the goddess got up and walked across the room towards us. "She's not exactly a girl. She's an android."

"While your description of me is accurate, it is not precise." The girl said as she stood up to allow for me to do the same.

"Then start explaining." I said, though I had a vague idea of what she was. "Starting with who you are."

"Very well." She replied with a nod. "My full name is… Nth Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: Metis." My eyes widened at the revelation.

'_So I was right… She's an __Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon__.'_ I thought. Wait, did she say… Nth Generation? Even though I was right as to what she is, I'm still confused.

"So, you really are one of them…" I stated in thought. "But what's something like you doing here? The Kirijo Group stopped making them after the 7th Generation, didn't they?"

"This is true, production of my sister units halted after the 7th Generation models, but I was not designed by the Kirijo Group." Metis explained. Once again, I was confused by this information.

"How is that possible? Nobody else has that kind of tech." I inquired.

"I… I do not know who designed me." Metis said. "Or rather, I have no records of them in my database."

'_Might have been their doing… They must not want me to know who they are, at least not yet.'_ I reasoned.

"Right… Then why are you here?" I pressed.

"The reason I am here?" Metis repeated. "My mission… Is to protect you at all costs."

"What do you mean?" Juno asked.

"I was sent to this world in order to keep him safe." Metis answered, which surprised me that she could perceive Juno (maybe because she has a Persona?). "And to help him combat whatever is plaguing this world." Looking at Juno, she seemed somewhat confused and unsure about the whole thing. I decided to show her proof of what Metis was saying, and gently took the android's arm and rolled up the sleeve to reveal the armor plating hidden by the clothing. Juno gasped quietly and I rolled the sleeve back down and released the mechanical maiden's arm.

"So, I take it you didn't have anything to do with this?" I said, looking at the goddess. She shook her head, and I began making a plan.

… I'm actually not sure for once. I've thrown away what I used to think of as logic by befriending a goddess and an android, so this is a new experience for me.

"Well… I'll take Metis out so she can adapt to being human." I said, but then got a better idea. "Actually… Let's all go, because, quite frankly Juno, you need to get used to this world too." She seemed to understand and nodded.

**_…_**

Having stepped outside, preparing for our aimless expedition, I decided to take my own advice and adapt to the layout of the city.

"Okay, first thing's first; we should get a lay for the land." I informed. The two girls nodded in response. I placed my hands in my pockets and led the way. Luckily we didn't draw attention to ourselves, since Metis and I most likely looked like a normal couple, and Juno couldn't be perceived by anyone else. After a few minutes of walking, we passed by a couple of guys that looked around the age of juniors talking. I managed to pick out a few things as we passed.

"Hey dude, did you hear? Ace got hit with that weird thing that's been goin' around in the rumors lately." One of the guys said to his friend.

"Whoa! You're not talkin' about that Apathy Syndrome thing, are ya'?" his friend exclaimed. I stopped dead in my tracks at the mention of those two words.

"Yeah, every time I try to go visit him, he stares at the wall all the time and mumbles all kinds sense." The first boy replied.

'_N-No way! __Apathy Syndrome__? Here?'_ I wondered in a semi-panic. I walked over to the pair and tapped the first one on the shoulder.

"Huh? Whadda' you want?" he asked.

"Hi… I'm a local detective, and I couldn't help overhearing your conversation." I lied, hoping to get some good info. "If you don't mind, could you tell me everything you know about this 'Apathy Syndrome'?"

"You don't know?" the teen's friend asked. "They say that there's a mysterious Duelist out there called the Black Rose. And if you suffer her wrath, then you get seriously messed up in the head, like our friend Ace."

"Hm… The infamous Black Rose is connected to this?" I wondered aloud.

"Yeah, and they say that she's making an appearance at the local street Duels today." The first teen added.

"Interesting… Thank you for that, I think you've helped me more than you know." I said before walking off, and the two girls following behind.

"Zero, what was that about?" Juno asked.

"They mentioned Apathy Syndrome, something that normally doesn't exist in this world… " Then, things were starting to click. "But… They said that the Black Rose might be connected…" By this point, I was simply talking to myself and ignoring the goddess. "That wouldn't make sense… Though I have to get some more answers." My decision made, I made my way into a back alley.

"Hm? What are we doing here, Zero?" Metis asked.

"I have an idea to help me get more info, but it's a long shot." I replied. I took out my deck and looked through it in search of a certain card. Once I found it, I put my deck back in its holder. I then closed my eyes and concentrated, focusing on a specific Persona to appear. "Give me insight, Himiko…" I felt something warm on my chest a second later. Looking down, I saw a 'VI' that glowed pink, shining through my clothes on the left side of my chest. Suddenly, the dark-skinned, white-clothed Lovers Persona appeared behind me and placed the strange crown-like object she held over my eyes.

Immediately, I was able to 'see' things across the city. I then tried to focus on one person in particular, the Black Rose. I focused on her and, without seeing her, I was able to tell where she was headed. I dismissed the analytical Persona and ran out of the back alley. I then used the knowledge I'd gained to make my way to the place where the local street duels were to be held. I also managed to find out that the duels didn't start until late in the afternoon, so the others and I decided to try and kill some time. Suddenly, I felt something in my stomach…

… Or rather, a lack there of. Realizing I was hungry Juno, Metis, and I found a nearby café, though I stopped short when I realized that I had no money.

But then again…

I, for the first bloody time since I arrived here in this world, felt a familiar bulge in my back pocket. I reached in and found my wallet. I sighed in relief when I realized that not only did I have a lot of money inside it, but the currency here was American dollars AND Japanese yen (convenient?).

…Don't ask me how I never noticed, but right now, my empty stomach takes priority over my lack of noticing I had money.

The three of us walked inside the café and sat by a window. I, of course, was the only one who ordered, since one of the other two is unable to digest food, and the other is essentially nonexistent to everyone else. I just got a piece of cake for a bit of a sugar boost. I also sat in the booth with my knees to my chest (it's become a habit of mine ever since I watched _Death Note_, but it really does help me think better).

"Alright, so let's go over the facts so far…" I said as I bit into the most amazing cake ever. "The rumors about the Black Rose are somehow connected to the strange cases of 'Apathy Syndrome'."

"What is Apathy Syndrome?" Metis asked.

"Hmm… I'm surprised you don't know." I said. "It's a strange condition that affects the mind in several ways. It essentially renders the individual completely oblivious to their surroundings, and they act almost like a living corpse…"

"I see. And this 'Black Rose' may have something to do with it?" Juno asked. "Who are they anyways?"

"I'm _not_ surprised that you are unaware who she is." I said as I took another bite of cake. "She's a Duelist who's built something of a legend for herself. She has a special power that allows her to bring the cards in her deck to life. Well… it would be more accurate to say that she can materialize the Monsters or the effects of the Spells and Traps, and inflict real damage to anyone she duels."

"To think a human could have that kind of power…" Juno mused.

"I agree. However, I doubt that she's really connected to the Apathy Syndrome cases." I continued. "Though reasonable to assume given her abnormal power, it remains inconsistent with the true cause of Apathy Syndrome… Shadows."

"Shadows cause it?" Juno asked.

"Yes, Shadows feed on the minds of their prey, and the result is someone with Apathy Syndrome." I explained, though quietly so no one could hear. "And so… there is no chance that the infamous Black Rose is involved in these cases. Although…" I plucked a strawberry off the top of my cake as I said this and held it in front of my face. "There is a ninety-five percent chance that whoever sent those Shadows after me yesterday is the cause of these cases."

"Sent?"

"Exactly. Those Shadows had to have been placed here in this world for me to fight them. Creatures like that don't just appear at random. So he must be doing the same thing to spread around Apathy Syndrome." I replied. Heh, looks like things are starting to make some sense.

'_Is that the reason I'm here; to defeat the Shadows that are causing all this, then stop whoever or whatever's sending them here?'_ I wondered. After a few minutes, I'd finished my cake, and my stomach was happy again. After we left, I decided to head towards our destination, remembering the path I'd seen with Himiko's power.

Once we'd gotten there, a pretty large crowd was already watching a duel between a guy with short brown hair, and someone who looked a lot like Joey Wheeler. Looking around, I managed to spot Yusei, Tanner, and Yanagi some ways away watching the action. I walked over to the trio and waved. The spiky-haired Satellite noticed me as I approached.

"Zero? That you?" he asked. I nodded in response.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" I greeted. "So, you ever get your Runner back?"

"Yeah." Yusei replied. "It wasn't easy, but that Blister guy Tanner told us about really came through."

"Nice."

"It's great to see ya' again sonny!" Yanagi said as he jumped up and hugged me, nearly taking me down to the ground in the process. Just then, he noticed Metis standing next to me. "Who's this? She kinda' looks like she'd be your sister or somethin'." Crap! Story. Think. Answer. Now!

"U-Uh… This is my girlfriend Metis." I lied. Okay, not my best story, but what do you expect? I had to think of something within the next three seconds. Tanner chuckled.

"Well, looks like you got pretty lucky." He said with a pat on my shoulder. I flashed a glance at Metis, hoping she'd get the idea to just play along for the time being (this won't end well).

"Well, it's nice to meet'cha." Yanagi said.

"Yusei!" I heard a voice call towards us. I turned around to see a man in his mid-twenties at least, wearing a white dress shirt under a green vest and black pants with shoes of the same color.

"Blister." Yusei greeted.

"Good news; I managed to snag a ride on a work boat headed for the Satellite tonight."

"Huh? A work boat? Don't those things carry all sorts of trash and disease?" Yanagi asked.

"Heh, if you end up being lucky." The man known as Blister replied. "Either way, this isn't for my personal enjoyment, it's to check on Yusei's friends. Besides, Yusei had bigger things to worry about."

"You mean like the Fortune Cup? Hey, our boy'll beat em' down." Tanner chimed in.

"Hey, mister." I heard a childish voice ring out from within the crowd. I looked over and saw a boy around the age of ten or so with green hair styled in a ponytail tap a man on the shoulder to get his attention. Next to him was a boy the same age with a pair of glasses and long brown hair that was parted at the fringe. "Have you seen the Black Rose?"

"Eh? Don't you know she ain't real?" and with that, the man walked off. The two kids then started engaging in conversation for another minute or so before Yusei noticed the pair as well and called out to them.

"Hey, Leo!" he called. The green-haired child looked to the side and ran to Yusei while waving his friend over.

"What's up?"

"What are you doing here, Leo? This isn't a place for kids. Where's your sister?" Yusei asked.

"She didn't wanna' come." Leo replied. Suddenly, he noticed that Yusei was holding a white envelope with a seal on the front face. "Hey, that's an invitation for the Fortune Cup, right?"

"Yeah." Yusei replied. Then, Leo began cheering about being able to duel Yusei.

"Maybe if I win, he'll make me his sidekick like in those comics." Leo said to his friend.

"Yeah, maybe." The glasses-wearing boy replied. Just then, Yusei grunted in pain and fell onto one knee while clutching his right arm.

"Yusei, you alright?" I asked.

"It hurts…" Yusei replied. "Just like before… when it appeared…"

'_His Mark is reacting to something…'_ I thought to myself. However, any further thought was cut off by a sharp pain in my hand. I grunted as well and clutched the body part in pain. As I looked at it, the blue-glowing '0' that represented the Fool Arcana was pulsating steadily, like a heartbeat.

"Sonny…?" Yanagi asked in concern.

'_Damn! Now my Wild Card is reacting to something…'_ I thought. _'The only thing that I can think of is…'_ Before I could think of it, the ground began to rumble, and pitch-black vines lined with thorns burst out from the ground and caused widespread damage to the surrounding buildings, some of the vines even planting themselves within some of the structures. Luckily, most of the people had fled, so nobody was hurt.

"What is that…? Whose dragon is…" Yusei wondered aloud. I looked up to make eye contact with what he meant. Some distance away from us, barely visible amidst the massive dust cloud present, was the silhouette of some sort of draconic creature. I then saw Yusei pull his sleeve back along with his glove to reveal the glowing crimson-colored mark on his forearm, which looked somewhat like the pointed end of a dragon's tail.

Yusei then, without warning, ran forward into the dust cloud as it slowly dissipated.

"Hey wait!" Leo called out to the Satellite.

"You're not letting me miss out on this!" I said as I followed after the Turbo Duelist. Once the dust had cleared, the dragon had vanished. Standing in its' place was a girl, who looked to be at least two years younger than me, clothed in a black hooded cloak and red dress. A white mask sat on her face, covering up her facial features, aside from the long strands of dark burgundy hair that spilled out of the hood on her head. On her arm was a simple-looking red and white Duel Disk.

"Black Rose?" Yusei asked.

"Black Rose." I stated. Suddenly, the girl gasped and shifted her gaze towards Yusei's right forearm.

"You! Why do you have one of those?!" she spat out. Then, she shifted her gaze to me, and probably saw the glowing number on my arm. "A-And you too? What's going on here?!"

"Yeah, I have one." Yusei said as he calmly walked closer to the girl.

"Stay away from me!" the cloaked girl snapped, and raised her arm towards us. In an instant, an explosion of force and a burst of light came into existence, driving us all back a few paces. When everything calmed down again, the cloaked girl was nowhere to be found.

"So, that was the Black Rose…" Tanner mumbled.

"She said 'why do you have one of those?'. What does that mean exactly?" Blister wondered.

"I dunno', but she also said something about you too, Zero." Yusei said, looking straight at me.

"I have no clue what she's interested in me for, but I'll tell you one thing here and now; that…" I replied, pointing to the place Yusei's Mark used to be mere moments ago. "… Is _vastly_ different from this…" I held up my hand to display the 'Mark of The Fool', as I've taken to calling it. Then, for a brief second, but long enough for the others to see something, Percival appeared, then vanished.

"What the-?" Yusei wondered.

"Amazing!" Yanagi added.

"That's sure somethin'." Tanner said.

"Well, what do you know…" Blister chimed in.

"As I said, we're vastly different, so her interest in me is different from her interest in you." I stated, probably sounding like some cold-hearted asshole. "Anyway, my curiosity has been piqued, so I'll be heading out. Good luck in the Fortune Cup, Yusei." After that, I began walking off, beginning to form a new plan. Then, I stopped as a new thought formed. "Hey, Blister, was it?"

"Yeah, that's me." The green-vested man replied.

"I hear that you're good with doing favors." I said. "You mind doing one for me?"

"Sure, for what?" he asked. I gestured for him to follow me away from the others to talk somewhat privately.

_**…**_

A couple of hours later, Blister and I had finished setting up a research lab's worth of tech. It basically consisted of multiple computers, some more advanced than others.

"Well, that takes care of it." Blister said as he stretched his back.

"Yeah, thanks for the help." I replied thankfully. "I'm surprised you could do this so quickly."

"I'm the Jack of All Trades, this is nothing too big for me. I have my connections, too." Blister commented. "But what do you need all this tech for? You could do some pretty crazy stuff with all this."

"Let's just say… I'm working on a case." I answered. Blister laughed at my reply, but understood nonetheless.

"Well, anyways, I'll leave this one on the house, you being pals with Yusei and all." Blister added as he walked out into the garage area of my hideout and then leaving outright. I then decided to get to work, turning on the devices and sitting down at a chair at the desk Blister and I bought for all this stuff. Once everything was ready, I sprung into action, managing to get into the Sector Security's network. I then established an audio link between them and this computer.

I just love being smart sometimes.

I took a headset with a mic attached to it, placed it on my head, turned on a voice filtering program, and pressed enter on the keyboard.

_**…**_

At Sector Security HQ, Director Rex Goodwin stood in a room filled with monitors being watched diligently by other members of the organization. Suddenly, a buzzer went off in the room.

"Hm? What's going on?" Asked a short, purple-haired man whose appearance bore a clown motif.

"I agree. What's the meaning of this." Goodwin asked.

"Sir! It seems that we're receiving some sort of audio feed from an unknown source!" a member reported.

"Let it through." Goodwin decided. Replies of compliance were heard as an image appeared on all monitors within the room; a complex-looking cursive 'z'. There was silence for a few moments until a distorted-sounding voice spoke up.

'**Greetings, Director Rex Goodwin and other members of Sector Security…'** the voice greeted. **'I… am Z'**

**FES Dictionary:**

Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: An android designed by the Kirijo Group whose purpose is to eliminate Shadows. They are given a 'soul', which in turn allows them to summon a Persona.

Kirijo Group: A globally operating multinational company that appears in the _Persona Series_. It is said to be involved with almost every aspect of daily life and finding someone that doesn't know the Kirijo Group is virtually impossible. Their true goal, however, is to combat the ongoing threat of Shadows.

Apathy Syndrome: A mysterious condition that is the result of the human psyche being devoured by a Shadow. Those suffering from the syndrome suffer from debilitating levels of apathy. When it strikes the inflicted will collapse in a heap wherever they happen to be and become unable to move, feed, or care for themselves.


	9. Welcome to the Fortune Cup

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES, Episode Drew: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 8: Welcome to the Fortune Cup—**_

At Sector Security HQ, Director Rex Goodwin stood in a room filled with monitors being watched diligently by other members of the organization. Suddenly, a buzzer went off in the room.

"Hm? What's going on?" Asked a short, purple-haired man whose appearance bore a clown motif.

"I agree. What's the meaning of this." Goodwin asked.

"Sir! It seems that we're receiving some sort of audio feed from an unknown source!" a member reported.

"Let it through." Goodwin decided. Replies of compliance were heard as an image appeared on all monitors within the room; a complex-looking cursive 'z'. There was silence for a few moments until a distorted-sounding voice spoke up.

'**Greetings, Director Rex Goodwin and other members of Sector Security…'** the voice greeted. **'I… am Z'**

"Z? What kind of a name is that?" the man with a clown motif asked with a combination of curiosity and annoyance.

"**The name of someone who does not wish to have their identity revealed as of yet."** The voice stated. **"Now, for the reason I have hacked into your network to get a hold of you…"**

"Hacked, you say?" Goodwin asked.

"**Yes, your system was simple enough to get through."** Z replied. **"As I said… I am assuming that you've taken notice of the recent cases of citizens afflicted with a strange condition, correct?"**

"Hmm… 'Apathy Syndrome' is what it's called, yes?" Goodwin asked.

"**That is correct."** Z answered. **"I want to let you in on a little secret; I know many things about the cause of it, and how to erase it."**

"You do? How do we stop this?" the clown asked anxiously. Z simply chuckled.

"Let him speak, Lazar." Goodwin calmly scolded the clown man.

"**That will remain my little secret for now. However; I would like to offer my services to you, if you are willing."** Z replied.

"Is that so?" Goodwin questioned.

"**Yes. All I ask for, Director Goodwin, is your cooperation. I believe that with your position in this city, it will be useful in supplying me with information."** Z explained. **"However… I do have one request as a price for my services."**

"And what might that be?" The Director inquired.

"**I would like a chance to participate in the upcoming Fortune Cup."** Z answered. **"I wish to fight the strongest I can find, and I believe this tournament will be just what I need."**

"Then consider it done." The Director replied. "Hmhm… What luck. I had been looking for a twelfth Duelist to compete tomorrow. Well, I hope to see you there then."

"**Of course. And from now on, I will contact you all in a different fashion. This was merely to get your attention."** Z added. **"All meetings after this will be held at a location where we may meet face to face."**

"Very well. Just tell me where and I'll come as specified." Goodwin replied with an understanding nod.

"**Good to see that you're cooperative. Until the Fortune Cup then…"**

And with that, the feed was cut off abruptly.

…

I removed the headset and stood up from my chair.

"Well, that settles that." I said as I stretched.

"Zero, I am curious as to why you wished to contact Sector Security." Metis commented.

"Because, if F.E.S is going to fight the Shadows and keep an eye on the Apathy Syndrome cases, we need to have someone to give us a bird's eye view of everything in the city." I replied.

"F.E.S?" Juno repeated.

"That's us." I explained. "I made a promise to Juno to rid this world of some sort of evil force, and obviously the Shadows are involved. And because of this, we're fighting for everyone's souls."

"I see, hence the name 'F.E.S'." Metis mused. Juno giggled.

"Yeah, I think it fits." She said.

"So, you guys are in then?" I asked.

"Of course, my purpose is to protect you at all costs. Wherever you go, I go as well." Metis replied.

_**SMASH!**_

Suddenly, time stopped around me and the world darkened. A tarot card then floated to face level in front of me; the card for the Fool Arcana.

'_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choose to create Personas of the Fool Arcana…'_ a voice resounded in my head. The card then broke apart into bluish sparkles that settled over the three of us.

_**SMASH!**_

Is that really happening again?

A new tarot card floated in front of my face; a card depicting two figures standing on either side of a strange-looking pointed structure, with a pair of keys floating beside it. At the bottom of the blue framing was the Roman numbering for five (V).

"_Thou art I… And I am thou…"_ the voice repeated. _"Thou hast established a new bond… It brings thee closer to thy fate… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choose to create Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…"_ The card transformed into a cloud of bluish sparkles that settled over Metis and I in particular.

Well… That was easy.

"Alright, well I have my chance to participate in the Fortune Cup, and it starts tomorrow." I said as I noticed it was getting late out. "I should tune up my deck in that case…" As I walked out into the garage to just take a seat and organize my deck for tomorrow, I froze as I saw something in my peripherals.

… Somehow I'm not surprised by this.

To my left was a glowing blue door that was never there before. Juno came in and saw this too. She then walked up to the door and gestured for me to open it. I knew the drill by this point. I fished around in my coat pocket for the Velvet Key I'd received last time and grabbed ahold of it. I placed it into the knob of the door, and it opened as soon as I removed the blue key. I walked inside, but what I saw wasn't a blue version of the garage I was just in, rather, I was standing inside a large blue dining room that had the appearance of a five-star restaurant. Juno then walked ahead of me.

"Right this way." She said, as if she were a waitress at this new 'Velvet Restaurant'. She led me to a table in the center of the room where Igor sat with his hands folded under his nose as usual. I took the chair across from the long-nosed man, and Juno placed a menu in front of me along with a glass of water before she walked off.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my boy." Igor greeted as usual.

"Okay, care to explain why this place is different?" I asked, getting right down to the heart of my curiosity.

"Ah, yes. I'm surprised you didn't sense it." Igor replied. "…A change in your psyche as a result of reconfirming your resolve."

"So…advancing my Fool Social Link did…this?" I asked, looking around.

"It is interesting indeed." Igor commented. "I am curious as to what may happen in the future because of your choices…"

"Yeah…" I said half-mindedly, still not used to the new layout.

"It seems that it has also had an effect on your power." Igor added. Now this sounds interesting. "It seems that your power is truly boundless."

"Boundless?" I questioned.

"Yes. You see, under normal circumstances, a Persona-User with your kind of power has a…limit as to how many Personas they may carry with them at one time in the initial stages, but it seems that you have no such restrictions. This is intriguing indeed."

"Seems that way…" I said thoughtfully, liking the thought of carrying around all my Personas at once.

"Ah, but I have neglected to mention what I wanted to address." Igor said. "And that is the role I shall play in your journey."

"And that would be?" I asked.

"My role is to aid in the creation of new Personas within your soul." Igor answered. "By taking multiple Persona cards, I can then transmute them into a stronger form."

"Sounds fun." I remarked.

"Would you like to give it a try?" Igor offered. I nodded. I then noticed what was actually on the menu for the first time; it was a list of the Personas I have, organized by Arcana. Next to each Persona was its' 'Level', which I knew was a systematic way of determining that Persona's strength. Well, it's a helpful reference, I guess.

"I'll fuse… Take-Mikazuchi and Jiraiya." I decided. The cards for said Personas materializing in front of Igor. The cards then rose into the air and a small glowing circle with arcane designs decorating it appeared around the cards. In a flash of light, the card and circle had vanished. In their place was a small pixie-like creature, no bigger than my hand, with brown hair and wearing a skin-tight blue outfit.

"**Hi there! My name's ****Pixie****! I hope I can help out a lot!"** the Persona spoke before glowing with a pinkish light.

"Hm? It looks like Pixie is getting an increase in power because of our bond." Juno spoke up as she walked over to the table. Pixie flew up into the air and did a mid-air flip as a voice resounded in my head.

'_Pixie has learned Zio…'_

The small blue-clad pixie then vanished in a shower of blue sparkles, and the Mark of The Lovers appeared on the left side of my chest for a brief second. I concentrated on the new Persona and her Skills made themselves known to me.

_-Pixie; Level 3. Skills are Dia, Patra, and Zio-_

Okay then, a bit weaker than I'm used to by now, but it works. Sadly, it didn't inherit any Skills either, but I'm not too upset.

"Is there anything else?" Igor inquired.

"Yeah, I'd like to pull those two back out and do some more fusing." I replied. I requested the Emperor and Magician Personas to return to my soul (and found out that Igor stopped charging for withdrawals from the Compendium. Thank God). After that, I fused Percival with Take-Mikazuchi in order to create…

…A brain with blue eyes and tentacles coming out of it?

"**I am ****Omoikane****… I shall lend you my knowledge should you require it…"** the Hierophant Persona spoke before it glowed with a yellowish-orange light.

"Oh, and it's getting an increase in power from your bond with Metis." Juno commented with interest.

'_Omoikane has learned Poison Mist…'_

The Persona vanished and I noticed a yellowish-orange light reflecting off the surface of the water in my glass. Igor nodded, as if confirming my suspicion of a glowing 'V' appearing on my forehead, presumably over my criminal marker. I concentrated and found that it was easier now to determine Omoikane's stats and Skills. And it looks like it inherited Mazio from Take-Mikazuchi. Cool.

_-Omoikane; Level 8. Skills are Zio, Sukunda, Tarunda, Mazio, and Poison Mist.-_

"Alright, I think that does it." I said as I stood up and walked towards the exit, with Juno following behind me and Igor bidding me farewell. Once I exited the Velvet Room, I decided to get some sleep for tomorrow, which would inevitably be a long day.

…

The day of the Fortune Cup had finally arrived, and I had gotten up before the others. Or rather, Metis got up before me to watch over me until I got up before Juno. I walked into the garage area and sat down at a nearby simple table with my Deck in hand. I then began going through my cards and implementing some strategies. I also went through my Side Deck and swapped out a few cards. I noticed that Metis was watching me intently.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"No, I am just curious as to what you are doing." The android replied.

"Oh. I'm fixing my Deck for the tournament today." I answered. "It's a card game called Duel Monsters that's really popular worldwide."

"Hmm… I comprehend." Metis replied. After a while, Juno had woken up and we decided to head out. She and I hopped onto Reiraku Byakuya and sped out into the streets. I then witnessed exactly what Metis was capable of, since she was now running _beside_ the Runner as it sped along. A few minutes later and we were at the Kaiba Dome. We met up with Yusei, Leo, his twin sister Luna, their friend Dexter, Tanner, and Yanagi.

Turns out that Leo was planning to dress up as Luna and take her place in the tourney, since Luna had dueling anxiety. I could already tell that this wouldn't end well. After we all met up, Yusei, Leo, and I made our way to the Duelist lounge while the others went towards the bleachers. I looked around and noticed that what Goodwin had mentioned the other day was in fact true; there was a few extra Duelists invited to this tournament, and counting myself, that made twelve competitors in total.

One of them was a simple-looking guy with neat reddish-brown hair and brown eyes, another was similar with neatly-styled black hair and green eyes. The last one was a girl around the age of seventeen with blue eyes and some SERIOUSLY bright orange hair tied into a ponytail. She wore a red tank top under a yellow jacket, black skirt, and white knee-high boots. She also wore a single black fingerless glove on her right hand.

_(Nine)_

The hell? Why'd I start thinking 'nine'? That's when I glanced up and saw the Roman numeral for two floating above the girl's head in blue. Then I noticed that there were other numerals ranging from one to twenty above the heads of the other Duelists.

…

… Yep, that figures. So apparently I can see people's Arcana now.

Nine means she falls under The Hermit. I need to work on my Social Links, so I'll keep this in mind. I also made note of the other Arcana I spotted. For instance, I learned that Yusei was part of the Fortune Arcana (ten), and Leo was The Moon (eighteen).

After a few minutes, we were all called to begin the opening ceremony. We all stood on a platform that rose shortly after someone, presumably the MC of the tournament, made a brief introduction. As the light of day bathed all of us, the MC made a few more remarks.

"And now… Introducing the mysterious Shira, the great Greiger, Commander Koda, the Professor, Sir Ransburg, Miss Akiza Izinski, the Queen of Flames known as Rio Suzumiya, the Beast Master Jun Oyama, Ace Takamatsu, Yusei Fudo, the lovely Miss Luna, and finally, a wild card entry; Zero!" the MC introduced us one by one, internally chuckling at my being called a wild card entry.

People immediately began ranting and shouting as the faces of Yusei and myself were shown, obviously because of our markers. Oddly enough, Yusei just stood there as if it was nothing and took the verbal abuse, the other competitors just stood there as well, though I think I noticed a look of sympathy from that Rio girl.

"What are they doing here?!"

"I bet they stole someone's invitation!"

"Get out of here! Don't you know your kind aren't wanted?"

Suddenly, Greiger stepped forwards and snatched up the microphone from the MC.

"I have to say something!" he interjected, which made all shouts and protests cease. "My name is Greiger! I know things are different in this city, but where I come from, you judge a guy on his spirit!" he pointed towards Yusei and I. "These two may have been branded by your people as no-goods, but when I look at them, all I see are duelists! And being a duelist myself, I have to respect them until they give me a reason not to! A duelist isn't judged on where they come from, who their family is or how much money they have, that isn't what matters!" After finishing his speech, he simply tossed the mic back to the MC. Goodwin smiled and began to clap, the audience eventually joining in bit by bit.

Then the Director stood up, "I would like to thank Greiger for his well-chosen and heartfelt words," he commented. "In our world, social status and personal wealth draw a line between us and our fellow man. I had a vision of a tournament that could, even for a fleeting moment, remove that line, a tournament separate from the competition of life, where the haves and have-nots can meet each other on a level playing field and prove themselves to each other and the world. Welcome to the Fortune Cup!" the crowd cheered.

After that, the spherical holographic display above us shuffled around twelve cards that arranged themselves into sets of two in six rows. The cards turned over to reveal the match-ups for the first round. I took notice of who I was dueling in the first round, which turned out to be Rio. Leo was going up against Grieger, Yusei was against Shira, Akiza against Koda, The Professor against Ransburg, and Jun against Ace.

After the last of the opening ceremony, we were all taken down by the platform we stood on, and we re-entered the large duelist lounge. As I looked for a place to sit, I noticed that Rio was walking towards me.

"Hi there, I'm Rio Suzumiya." She said with a bow. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, same here." I said politely. "The name's Zero."

"Well, I hope that we have a fun Duel today then, Zero." She said with a smile. I nodded and we went our separate ways. Okay, so…really polite, smiles a lot, and she seems to have a lot of energy…

Yeah, that's her in a nutshell from what I've seen. You'd be surprised how much you can learn about someone from how they act, even in a first meeting. A few minutes passed before the first match was announced, which, as fate would have it, was my duel with Rio, which was a standard Ground Duel. Juno and I stepped up to one of the platforms while Rio did the same with the other. We rose onto the field at opposite ends and faced each other, activating our Duel Disks while the goddess simply spectated.

"Alright folks! For our first duel, we'll start out slow and get faster as we go along!" the MC announced. "For our first match-up, we'll be pitting the Queen of Flames, Rio Suzumiya, against our wild card entry, Zero!" the noise from the crowd was now a mix of cheers and boos.

"I hope you're ready, because my Deck is like nothing you've ever seen!" I said from my place across from my opponent. We both drew our starting hands and fanned them out.

"Alright Duelists! Leeeet's Duel!" MC declared as a pair of Life Point counters appeared on the holographic sphere.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Rio LP: 4000**_

"Ladies first!" Rio said as she drew her sixth card and added it to her hand. "I'll start off by Summoning _**Pyrus Siege**_ in Attack Mode!" As she played her card, a knight clad in red and gold-colored armor appeared, wielding a flaming sword as his weapon.

… Seriously?

Bakugan cards?

The hell! That's only supposed to happen in fan fiction!

_**Pyrus Siege**_

_**LV 4**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Warrior**_

_**ATK 1900 / DEF 1400**_

"Then I'll just place two facedowns to end my turn." Rio concluded as two reversed cards appeared on her field. Well, damn. She certainly takes Duels seriously. Enough so, in fact, that she basically discards her womanhood.

… hehe discarded womanhood.

"My move!" I declared as I drew my sixth card. "From my hand, I'm Summoning _**Persona of The Empress – Penthesilea**_!" The Monster I Summoned was an armored queen wielding a dagger and a rapier as her weapons.

_**Persona of The Empress – Penthesilea**_

_**LV 3**_

_**WATER**_

_**Psychic**_

_**ATK 600 / DEF 1000**_

"Next, I'm activating a Spell Card from my hand! _**Power of The Heart**_!" I continued as I played what would quickly become one of my signature cards. "With this, I can choose one _**Persona**_ on my field and send it to the Graveyard to Summon an _**Advanced Persona**_ from my Deck!" _**Penthesilea**_ began to glow an icy blue and change shape slightly. "Come forth! _**Advanced Empress Persona – Artemisia**_!" I took the top card of my Deck, which had stuck itself out for me, and placed it on the card board. When the light had faded,_** Penthesilea**_ was no longer present, but a figure similar in appearance to her took her place. She was a white-skinned woman with a red mask covering the upper half of her face. She wore an outfit that consisted of a combination between a dark blue dress and golden battle armor on the chest, shoulders, and waist. In her hands she brandished a grey-handled whip.

_**Advanced Empress Persona – Artemisia**_

_**LV 7**_

_**WATER**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 2200 / DEF 2300**_

"Amazing folks!" MC exclaimed. "In just one turn, Zero has already managed to bring out a powerful wall of a Monster! What else can these 'Personas' do?"

"And I'm not done! By returning one of the cards in my hand to my Deck, I can add the Spell Card I just used back to my hand!" I added as the aforementioned card slid out of my Graveyard slot. I then placed a card back on the top of my Deck and the auto-shuffle feature stirred it up with the rest of my cards. "And now _**Artemisia's**_ effect activates! Once a turn, I can choose one of your Spells and Traps, and you can't use it for three turns!" The card to the left of Rio frosted over in an instant.

"No way!" Rio exclaimed in shock.

"_**Artemisia**_! Attack _**Pyrus Siege**_ with Bufula!" I ordered. The feminine warrior brandished her whip, and a medium-sized icicle shot up from underneath the red-armored knight…

"Not so fast! I activate _**Negate Attack**_!" Rio countered as her other card rose, creating a clear wall that blocked the icicle from piercing _**Pyrus Siege**_. "Now your attack is stopped and the Battle Phase ends!"

"Damn… Okay then." I said calmly. "Either way, you're still taking damage!"

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Rio wondered aloud.

"I mean I'm activating _**Persona Skill: Cocytus Pain**_ from my hand!" I replied, playing a card that depicted a figure encased in a large block of ice. "As long as I control a Water-Attribute Monster, I can use this card to inflict 800 damage to my opponent. And guess what? _**Artemisia**_ is a Water-Attribute Monster, which means that 800 Life Points are being knocked out of you." The Empress_** Persona**_ brandished her whip once more, and a massive block of ice formed around Rio. The armored maiden then flicked her whip at the block, shattering it in seconds.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Rio LP: 3200**_

"I'll end my turn from there with a facedown." I said as my End Phase passed.

"My turn!" Rio declared as she drew her next card. "I'll start out by Summoning _**Pyrus Matris**_ in Attack Mode!" As she played her next card, an insect-like creature similar to a Praying Mantis rose from within a blue portal. It had a red and gold color scheme, blades set into its feet, and eyes that seemed to allow it to see behind its head. _**Mantris**_ also had a large backside that resembled a bee stinger.

_**Pyrus Mantris**_

_**LV 3**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Insect/Effect**_

_**ATK 1500 / DEF 1500**_

"Next, I'm activating _**Double Summon**_!" Rio continued as she played the aforementioned Spell Card. "And with it, I'll Summon the Tuner Monster, _**Pyrus Rubanoid**_!" Playing her next card Summoned a large dragon made of red and yellow crystals and glowing green eyes.

_**Pyrus Rubanoid**_

_**LV 3**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Dragon/Tuner**_

_**ATK 1200 / DEF 1000**_

"And with his special ability, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Monster from my hand! So come on out, _**Pyrus Robotallion**_!" Rio added as her next Monster was a red and gold-colored robot made for combat.

_**Pyrus Robattalion**_

_**LV 2**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Machine/Effect**_

_**ATK 900 / DEF 900**_

'_Damn, she's trying to swarm her field…'_ I thought to myself. _'Wait a minute… That _**Rubanoid**_ is a Tuner Monster!'_

"Now, I'm Tuning my Level 3 _**Rubanoid**_ with my Level 2 _**Robotallion**_!" Rio announced as her Monster took to the sky. _**Rubanoid**_ turned into a trio of green rings whilst _**Robotallion**_ broke apart and formed into two small stars. The objects that once comprised _**Robotallion**_ lined up within the small tunnel the rings formed. In a burst of brilliant light, a new Monster had taken their place and stood next to _**Mantris**_. It was a tiger with orange fur and fitted with red armor on the shoulders and chest. Its' back had several silver-colored spikes running down it that resembled blades. A red helmet-like ornament also sat on the creature's head.

_**Pyrus Nobilion**_

_**LV 5**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Beast/Synchro**_

_**ATK 2300 / DEF 1800**_

"Meet _**Pyrus Nobilion**_, one of my headliners!" Rio added with a smirk. Damn this girl changes a lot when she Duels. "_**Nobilion**_, attack _**Artemisia**_ with Rapid Saber!" The lion roared and the blades on his back began to glow. Suddenly, he vanished and appeared behind my _**Persona**_. Shreds began to appear in the clothing of my Monster before it shattered into pixels.

_**Zero LP: 3900**_

_**Rio LP: 3200**_

"Now _**Mantris**_, attack him directly!" Rio ordered. The praying manits crawled forward and slashed me with its' bladed arms.

_**Zero LP: 2400**_

_**Rio LP: 3200**_

"And _**Siege**_, keep it up!" Rio continued as the red-armored knight dashed forward and slashed me with his fire sword. It may have been a simple hologram, but I still flinched out of instinct.

_**Zero LP: 500**_

_**Rio LP: 3200**_

"I'll end my turn from there." Rio concluded. I growled in annoyance.

'_Damn, she's strong! I would have been more cautious if I'd known that! C'mon! This one's for all the marbles…'_ I thought as I concentrated on my next draw. As I drew my card, I saw that it was glowing a sky blue, and my Mark of The Fool was slowly pulsating. I smirked at this. _'Heh, looks like you want a piece of the action too, huh?'_

**(BGM – What I'm Made Of (by Crush 40).)**

"Y'know, Rio, there's a reason I'm called Zero." I spoke up.

"Huh? What does that mean?" she asked.

"I mean, you're about to see why I'm a _true_ Wild Card!" I replied. "From my hand, I Summon _**Persona of The Fool – Orpheus**_!" Upon my declaration, a blue portal opened on my field, which gave rise to a new Monster, one of the ones from my Side Deck, in fact.

It was a marionette with dark skin, snow-white hair, and a mechanical body from the neck down. Its' torso was platinum-colored with a small speaker embedded in the stomach region, and the upper half of its' arms and legs were metallic with the forearms and forelegs being covered by white cloth. Strapped to its' back was a silver lyre, and around its' neck was a red scarf.

**_Persona of The Fool – Orpheus_**

_**LV 3**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1300 / DEF 0**_

"W-What is that thing?" Rio asked in surprise.

"This… is only the beginning!" I replied as I held up another card. "Now I'm playing _my_ _**Double Summon**_! And I'll use it to call out _**Persona of the Emperor – Polydeuces**_!" As I played the card, I also played the card that would Summon the jumpsuit-wearing drill-armed man.

_**Persona of The Emperor – Polydeuces **_

_**LV 3**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 1000 / DEF 1200**_

"And now I'll use one of his special abilities to Special Summon this from my hand! The Tuner Monster, _**Fool Soul**_!" I declared as I placed the glowing card down on my Duel Disk, Summoning another figure made of energy. This one was a sky blue and matched the shape of my figure exactly, energy versions of my hook swords gripped in its' hands.

_**Fool Soul**_

_**LV 1**_

_**LIGHT**_

_**Psychic/Tuner**_

_**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

"Oh my! What could that Monster be? It has zero Attack and Defense Points! If Zero is Summoning that thing, then who knows what it can do!" MC exclaimed.

"Now, I'll use one of _**Polydeuces'**_ other abilities! This allows me to modify the Level of one of my Monsters!" I explained. "I choose to upgrade my Fool Soul from Level 1 to Level 2!" _**(Fool Soul – LV: 1-2)**_

"Why do that?" Rio asked, bu8t then she gasped. "Unless…?"

"That's right! I'm Tuning my Level 2 _**Fool Soul**_ with Level 3 _**Orpheus**_ and Level 3 _**Polydeuces**_!" I replied as my Monsters took to the sky. This time, however, _**Orpheus**_ and _**Polydeuces**_ transformed into the tarot cards for the Fool and Emperor Arcana respectively. Then the shot towards each other, and collided at the meeting point, which created a burst of brilliant blue light. _**Fool Soul**_ then transformed into the usual mass of energy that flowed into the light created from the collision, which made it intensify. I smirked and began my chant.

"_The Arcana is the means by which souls are bound! Limitless potential now flows through my body! Synchro Summon! Come forth, my other self! _**Persona of The Fool – Percival**_!"_

The light that now floated above the stadium suddenly shot down in a massive pillar. As if faded and calmed down, what stood in front of me was my own Persona, the symbol of my strength of heart; Percival of The Fool Arcana.

_**Persona of The Fool – Percival**_

_**LV 8**_

_**WIND**_

_**Psychic/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 3000 / DEF 2000**_

"Whoa!" MC exclaimed. "I've heard of knights and dragons, but I've never heard of the knight _being_ the dragon!"

"Now it's at this time that _**Percival's**_ effect activates!" I continued. "When he's successfully Summoned, he gets two Soul Counters! And his Attack and Defense Points increase by one hundred times the number of Counters he has!" Percival began to roar as two small '0's' appeared on his shoulders._** (PoTF – Percival – ATK/DEF: 3000-3200/2000-2200, SC: 2)**_

"Next, I activate my facedown! The Trap Card, _**Persona Skill: Recarm**_!" I continued as my Trap rose. "Now, since I successfully Summoned a Persona this turn, I'm allowed to Special Summon one back from my Graveyard! And I'll use it to revive _**Polydeuces**_!" As the Emperor Persona returned to the field, I smirked and held up yet another card.

"Wait! That's not…?" Rio gasped, probably remembering back to earlier in the Duel. I nodded as I played the card.

"I play… _**Power of The Heart**_!" I announced as the Emperor _**Persona**_ began to glow and my Deck shuffled until a certain card stuck out of the top, which I took gratefully. "With this, I can now send _**Polydeuces**_ to the Graveyard in order to evolve him into a stronger form!" _**Polydeuces**_ began glowing dark purple and changing shape slightly as he became engulfed in the light. When it faded, the figure that stood in his place stood firm.

He was a very imperial-looking figure, with a dark-skinned face hidden under white and black armor that layered his body. He carried a sword in one hand, and a globe in another. His chest contained a hollow cavity that housed a tiny man sitting in a chair, almost like some sort of king.

_**Advanced Emperor Persona – Caesar**_

_**LV 5**_

_**EARTH**_

_**Psychic/Effect**_

_**ATK 2300 / DEF 900**_

"Meet _**Advanced Emperor Persona – Ceasar**_!" I said. "I'll be nice and not attack, since I'd like to see how strong you really are. So I'll call it a turn from there after placing a facedown." _'That, and I have no ideas as to what tricks she may have up her sleeve right now.'_

"My move!" Rio said as she drew her next card. She smirked. "You're about to regret your choice."

"That so?" I asked.

"I Summon the Tuner Monster, _**Pyrus El Condor**_!" Rio announced as she Summoned a thin and frail-looking figure wearing a gargantuan Aztec-styled mask.

_**Pyrus El Condor**_

_**LV 3**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Spellcaster/Tuner**_

_**ATK 1300 / DEF 1100**_

"Now its effect activates!" Rio added. "I can alter the Level of one Monster on my field as long as that level is between 1 and 6! I choose to make _**Nobilion**_ a Level 6 Monster!" _**Nobilion**_ faintly glowed as his Level went up. _**(Nobilion – LV: 5-6)**_

'_I think I know what she's planning…'_

"Now I'm Tuning my Level 3 _**Monarus**_ with my Level 6 _**Nobilion**_!" the orange-haired girl said as her Monsters took to the sky and performed the usual Synchro process.

'_Burning flames of the heart and soul! Grant me the power and strength to move forward! Synchro Summon! Ignite! _**Pyrus Flare Dragaon**_!'_

The Monster that she Summoned was actually kind of cool-looking. It had the basic shape of a bipedal dragon, much like Percival, but it had its' uniqueness to it as well. For one, it was different from the other _**Pyrus **_Monsters with its' color scheme. Whereas the others had been red and gold-colored, this one was red and white. It had a pair of sleek, red wings with white designs on them, along with white-clawed hands and feet. On its forearms were metallic gauntlets with a red flame design imprinted on them, and on its head was a pair of golden yellow horns, along with a blue gem on its' nuzzle.

_**Pyrus Flare Dragaon**_

_**LV 9**_

_**FIRE**_

_**Dragon/Synchro/Effect**_

_**ATK 3000 / DEF 2800**_

'_This isn't good…'_ I thought to myself. _'That thing's almost on par with _**Percival**_.'_

"Now I activate his special ability! I can banish a Fire-Attribute Monster from my hand to increase _**Flare Dragaon's **_Attack Points by the Attack Points of the Monster I banished." Rio explained as she held up a Monster Card. "I'll banish _**Pyrus Viper Helios**_, which has 1500 Attack Points, to give _**Flare Dragaon**_ a power boost by that same amount."

Oh that's just bloody fantastic.

_**Flare Dragaon**_ gained a fiery aura as his power rocketed up. _**(Flare Dragaon – ATK: 3000-4500)**_

"Incredible! Are you seeing this, folks?!" MC exclaimed in excitement. "The Queen of Flames has not only Summoned her ace Monster, but she's given it a massive power boost! How can Zero recover from this, especially with only 500 Life Points left!" Well, glad to see that you got confidence in me.

"_**Flare Dragaon**_, attack _**Percival**_ with Blue Blaze!" Rio commanded. The bipedal dragon reared its' head back as blue flames formed within its mouth. _**Dragaon**_ then threw its head forward, unleashing a blast of those same blue flames.

"I activate my facedown! _**Cadenza**_!" I countered, flipping my Spell Card face-up. "With this, I can negate your attack and end the Battle Phase!" A soft melody could be heard as the blue flames died out just like that. "And the best part is that I gain 1000 Life Points as a nice little bonus!" Rio and everyone else gasped at the power of my card.

_**Zero LP: 1500**_

_**Rio LP: 3200**_

"I… I end my turn with a facedown…" Rio said, probably disappointed that her plan had failed.

"I'll pick it up from here." I said as I drew a full hand of five cards, due to tournament rules (since I had no cards in my hand at the time). Some of my new cards could have been more useful earlier, but there were one or two that could help me now.

'_Alright. Time to end this.'_ I thought.

"I'll start off by mentioning one of _**Percival's**_ abilities, which gives him an additional 2 Soul Counters during my Standby Phase." I informed as two more blue symbols appeared on _**Percival's**_ wings. _**(Percival – SC: 2-4, ATK/DEF: 3200-3400/2200-2400) **_"Now I'll activate three Spells! _**Persona Skill: Divine Wind**_, _**Persona Skill: Narukami**_, and_** Magic Skill Up**_!" _**Percival**_ and _**Caesar**_ began to glow green and blue respectively. "_**Divine Wind**_ will deal 800 points of damage to you if I control a Wind-Attribute Monster, and _**Narukami**_ will do the same if I have a Light or Earth-Attribute Monster on my field! And on top of that, Magic Skill Up will double any Effect Damage I deal to you while it's on the field! _**Percival**_ and _**Caesar**_ fit the requirements so you'll be taking 1600 points of damage in two helpings!"

A fierce green wind kicked up and blew around Rio as multiple lightning bolts came raining down.

_**Zero LP: 1500**_

_**Rio LP: 0**_

"Simply amazing!" MC shouted. "Zero has just delivered a punishing blow to Rio Suzumiya, which cost her the match! And so… Our winner is… ZERO!" The both of us deactivated our Duel Disks and reassembled our Decks before meeting in the middle.

"Wow… You're a really strong Duelist." Rio complimented with a laugh. "It actually makes me want to Duel you again, y'know?"

"I'm not that strong, I just got lucky." I said, trying to act humble.

"No I'm serious, that was awesome. I've never fought someone as good as you." Rio insisted.

"Well… Thanks, I guess." I replied.

"Good luck, I'll be watching." Rio added as we parted ways. As Juno and I re-entered the Duelist Lounge, I sat down and made some more adjustments to my Deck. After a minute or two, a pair of suits came walking in and came towards me.

"Goodwin wants a word with you." The one on the left informed.

"I have a choice?" I asked, somewhat rhetorically. I simply shrugged and followed them out of the Duelist Lounge.

_**Whew! That's the next chapter done! Longest one I've written so far, I think.**_

_**Anyways, I'm sure that some of you are wondering about that 'draw rule' near the end. That actually is a tournament-style rule that I remember reading somewhere, though I can't remember WHERE to save my life. I don't keep up on tournaments these days, so whether or not they changed this rule is beyond me (if anyone could inform me as to whether they changed that, let me know). I just figured I should explain myself on that. Either way, that will be a valid rule for tournaments such as the Fortune Cup in this story, so expect to see that happen more.**_

_**And also, when Caesar was summoned, you might have noticed that the ATK was higher than it is in the profile. This is because the original 1300 ATK was a typo I never noticed until now, so expect that to be changed.**_

_**Anyways…**_

**FES Dictionary:**

F.E.S: A group of Persona-users determined to protect New Domino City from the Shadows. It also represents the Fool Social Link.

Pixie: A Level 3 Persona of the Lovers Arcana that specializes in Recovery Skills. It has a certain level of resistance to Electricity (or shortened to Elec.) Skills, and is weak to Fire Skills. Currently, she knows these Skills:

Dia = Light healing to an ally.  
Patra = Removes Distress/Panic/Fear Ailments from an ally.  
Zio = Light Elec. damage to the target.

Omoikane: A Level 8 Persona of the Hierophant Arcana that specializes in Elec. Skills. He has a certain level of resistance to these same Skills, while being weak to Ice. Currently, he knows these Skills:

Zio = Light Elec. damage to the target.  
Sukunda = Speed decrease to the target.  
Tarunda = Attack power decrease to the target.  
Mazio = Light Elec. damage to all enemies.  
Poison Mist = Chance of Poisoning all enemies.

_**Also, as a side note, from now on, I'll be referring to the numbers that appear on Zero's body when he fuses/invokes a Persona as 'Mark of (Arcana)', just for simplicity's sake. Well, that aside, see you next chapter!**_

_**And here's today's key cards:**_

_**{From Side Deck}**_

**_Persona of The Fool – Orpheus_**

**_LV 3_**

**_FIRE_**

**_Psychic/Effect_**

**_ATK 1300 / DEF 0_**

Effect – Once per turn: You can target one of your opponents' Monsters; it loses 700 ATK. Once per turn: You can add 1 "Cadenza" or "Persona Skill: Meltdown" from your Deck to your hand.

**_{From Main/Extra Deck}_**

**_Persona of The Fool – Percival_**

**_LV 8_**

**_WIND_**

**_Psychic/Synchro/Effect_**

**_ATK 3000 / DEF 2000_**

**_Synchro Materials – "Fool Soul" + 1 or more non-Tuner "Persona" Monsters_**

Effect – When this card is Synchro Summoned: Place 2 Soul Counters on this card. Once during each of your Standby Phases: Place 2 Soul Counters on this card (MAX. 10). This card gains 100 ATK and DEF for each Soul Counter on it. Once per turn: You can remove any number of Soul Counters to activate an appropriate effect:

● 2: Negate the activation of a card effect and destroy that card.

● 4: If this card would be destroyed, it is not destroyed.

● 8: Destroy all cards on the field. Special Summon this card during the Standby Phase of your next turn if it is destroyed by its' own effect.


	10. Reach Out To The Truth, Part 1

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 9: Reach Out To The Truth, Part 1—**_

As the two suits led me down a hallway, I heard Juno speak up.

"Do you think they found out that you were the one that hacked them?" She asked.

_-Most likely.-_ I answered through my mind, a useful trick I discovered a while ago. _-But then again, it's not like I didn't want them to find out.-_

"Huh?" Juno wondered.

_-I simply used an alias before because I wanted to get their attention, like I'd told them.-_ I explained. _-I anticipated that they would figure out it was me that hacked them, hell I even counted on it. So now, they know someone who knows how to stop the Apathy Syndrome cases. And obviously Goodwin would jump at the chance to meet me face to face because of that.-_

"Ah, I see." Juno replied with a nod. "So, are you going to tell them anything?"

_-About Personas and Shadows? Doubt it.-_ I answered. _-It would be kind of hard to explain something that they can't perceive. Sure, they'd be able to see my Persona if I summoned one, but the Shadows… That's a whole other chore to try and get other people to believe that.-_

On that note, we had entered an elevator and came out on a higher floor. We were now inside a tower-like structure inside the Kaiba Dome. The suits led Juno and I into a large luxurious-looking room with a massive pane of glass that overlooked the entire stadium.

"It is good to see you again… Z." Goodwin greeted as he turned around from his place in front of the window. Huh, Justice Arcana.

"Heh, just call me Zero." I said. Goodwin gestured for me to have a seat, so I did so (like a boss) on a couch next to another that was occupied by a young man around my age with spiky blond hair and dark purple eyes, wearing some pretty snazzy-looking clothes. "I'm surprised you found me out so fast." Not really.

"Well, it was simple enough to distinguish you from the others. After all, I did see you in the Facility." Goodwin replied. Figured, I mean, I made it easy on purpose.

"Well, that aside, what did you want to talk about?" I inquired.

"Nothing really. I simply wished to meet you face-to-face." Goodwin answered. Lies.

"You wanted to know how I know about the cause of those Apathy Syndrome cases." I stated matter-of-factly.

"H-How did you-?" Goodwin asked.

"I'm a prodigal detective, I could see it on your face a mile away." I said plainly. "And to answer your question; I can't tell you much. What I can say, however, is that there's a whole other world hidden underneath the gloss and glamor that you people perceive. A world that only very few people have the common sense to acknowledge."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" asked the blond boy on the couch next to me.

"Regardless of the wording of his answer, Jack, I will trust that what Zero says is true." Goodwin replied with a look of understanding.

"That all you need?" I asked.

"Yes, I suppose." Goodwin replied. I took that as my cue to leave. Having found my way to the Duelist Lounge, I decided to prepare for my next match. As my name was called minutes later, I faced off against one of the new guys that were here because of my existence (at least, that's my theory).

Either way, this guy was pathetic. If you want to know what happened during the Duel; I utterly owned him. He was nervous, much like Luna, so he ended up making mistakes and stumbling here and there, which made it that much easier for me to just pick him off. I made my way back down to the Duelist Lounge with a disappointed face.

After that, I decided to just sleep until my next match, which wouldn't be for a while. I told Juno to wake me if something important happened or when my match was about to start. And with that, I drifted off into sleep.

**{-o-}**

"Zero! Zero!" I heard Juno's voice call out to me. I hurriedly opened my eyes.

"Huh? What happened?" I asked.

"You might want to look at the Duel." The goddess said with a combination of interest and worry in her voice. I did as asked and stood up, walking over to the screen that showed the current duel. Koda stood on one side of the Dueling field while Akiza opposed him. On Akiza's field there was a black-skinned dragon covered with rose petals, one that I recognized all too well.

"That's… **Black Rose Dragon**…" I mumbled. I then noticed a crimson light coming from the burgundy-haired girl's right arm; the source of the light being a marking that had the vague shape of a clawed hand. But before I could ask Juno what she was so worried about, I noticed that there was a second source of red light on her opposite arm, which held up her Duel Disk. I couldn't quite make out the source of it, but I could see that it was slowly pulsating, much like a heartbeat, so I doubt anyone else saw it. Then, I happened to glance up, and I saw her Arcana.

_(Eleven)_

It was numbered as XI, which would imply the Strength Arcana, but there was something different about this. I could somehow feel all sorts of negative emotions coming from Akiza. I could tell that it wasn't Reversed Strength, but it was something else entirely. Then the penny dropped.

"Her Arcana… It's Hunger…" I whispered. "Strength through dominance…" Then, I could have sworn I saw a translucent shape appear very briefly before vanishing again, right behind Akiza.

_This_ was what Juno wanted me to see.

Akiza then played a Trap Card, dealing the final blow to Koda and granting her victory. I thought about what I just witnessed as Akiza exited the field and soon had reappeared in the Duelist Lounge. I glanced at her as she passed me, and she returned with a glare. I then walked back to my seat, and that's when a second penny dropped.

Apparently, I'd slept longer than I had originally thought, which was, according to Juno, through most of the second round after my Duel. Pretty much everyone was unaccounted for, save for three people; Yusei, Akiza, and myself. Looking at a separate screen, which showed a tourney bracket, I saw that Yusei had already earned his spot in the finals, so all that was left in the second round was for me to Duel Akiza.

Considering what I just saw, I think she and I have to have a little 'talk'. In any case, I decided to revise my Deck one last time before the next match started. A few minutes later, an announcement was made for Akiza and I to report to the Dueling field. We each gave the other a glare before going our separate ways to the platforms that would take us topside.

"Alright ladies and gents! It's time for the last Duel for the semi-finals!" MC announced as Akiza and I faced each other. "The victor will move on to face Yusei Fudo in the final battle, and perhaps even to face the King himself for the championship!" The crowd began to cheer and whoop. "The Black Rose, Akiza Izinski, will face off against the Wild Card, Zero!" Upon the mention of Akiza's name, people began booing and shouting, while numerous amounts of cheers were heard as I was mentioned. Needless to say, I know why they all want Akiza to lose. Tch. Damn people need to stop making assumptions off of lack of info.

"Alright Duelists! Leeet's Duel!" MC yelled.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**Akiza LP: 4000**_

"I hope you don't mind, but ladies first. I draw!" Akiza said and drew her sixth card. "I play my **Double Summon **spell card, letting me Summon twice this turn. I Summon **Lonefire Blossom** in Attack Mode!" A plant with two intertwined stems, purple leaves, and a small white bomb to top it off appeared on Akiza's field.

**Lonefire Blossom  
****LV 3  
****FIRE  
****Plant/Effect  
****ATK 500 / DEF 1400**

"Then I'll activate its special ability! Once per turn, I can tribute a face up Plant-Type monster to Special Summon one from my Deck. So now, I sacrifice my **Lonefire Blossom** so I can Special Summon **Malina, Princess of Sunflowers**!" As she played her next card, a woman with multicolored hair, and wearing a dress with a sunflower as the base emerged.

**Malina, Princess of Sunflowers  
****LV 8  
****FIRE  
****Pant/Effect  
****ATK 2800 / DEF 1600**

I cringed slightly, realizing that I was already at a disadvantage.

"But don't forget that I still have to Summon my second monster thanks to **Double Summon**. I'll Summon the Tuner Monster, **Twilight Rose Knight**!" I growled as a knight with short, pale blue hair, dressed dark blue armor plating coupled with a silver cape, and wielding a short sword appeared and took a stance.

**Twilight Rose Knight  
****LV 3  
****DARK  
****Warrior/Tuner  
****ATK 1000 / DEF 1000**

'_Damn, she's already got that thing out.'_ I thought to myself.

"What's so bad about it?" Juno asked.

_-I'm surprised you didn't know. I thought you were watching the Duels while I was out._- The goddess shrugged, implying she may not have seen Akiza Dueling before now. _-In any case; __**Twilight Rose Knight**__ is a key part of Akiza's strategy. When Normal Summoned, its' effect lets you Special Summon a Plant-Type Monster from your hand. With it, she could easily Summon a Level 3, then go for __**Black Rose Dragon**__ to go with her __**Malina**__, which means that I'll have a hard time matching her blow for blow for a bit.-_

"And when **Twilight** **Rose Knight** is Normal summoned, I can Summon another Plant-Type that's level 4 or below from my hand!" Akiza announced, placing another card onto the board of her Duel Disk. "And I think **Lord Poison** will do nicely!" A plant-like creature with claws and spikes lining its' body and a serpentine tail appeared.

**Lord Poison  
****LV 4  
****WATER  
****Plant/Effect  
****ATK 1500 / DEF 1000**

'_Shit!'_ I mentally cursed.

"And now I'll Tune my Level 3 **Twilight Rose Knight** with my Level 4 **Lord Poison**!" Akiza continued as the blue-haired knight unsheathed the sword it carried before transforming into a trio of Synchro gates, while **Lord Poison** broke apart into 4 white stars, that lined themselves up perfectly within the also perfectly aligned gates.

_"Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear now, __**Black Rose Dragon**__!"_

Within a flash of brilliant light, a fearsome-looking dragon appeared. It was covered in black scales that served as its' skin, while at the same time, it was covered in rose petals on the wings and torso. Thorny vines lashed out from behind it along with its' true tail, while its' short, clawed feet hovered above the field.

**Black Rose Dragon  
****LV 7  
****FIRE  
****Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
****ATK 2400 / DEF 1800**

'_Damn… I was hoping to have at least one turn before she busted that thing out…_' I thought to myself. _'But it looks like the joke's on her, since it would be useless to activate its' first ability. Otherwise she'd be losing all that hard work.'_

"Oh my! The **Black Rose Dragon** has appeared, folks! This is bad news for Zero! How will he counter as he stares at two powerhouses ready to beat him down?!" MC exclaimed.

"You're lucky that I can't attack on this turn. So I'll end it there." Akiza concluded with a somewhat sadistic grin on her face.

"My move!" I declared as I drew my sixth card and added it to my hand. I looked over what I had and thought up a plan_. 'Alright… Time to get to work.'_

"To start things off, I'll play_ my_ **Double Summon** Spell Card!" I announced as I placed the card into my Spell/Trap Zone. "And with it, I'll Summon **Persona of the Chariot – Tomoe** in Attack Mode and **Persona of The Magician – Hermes **in Defense Mode!" As I played my cards, the yellow jumpsuit-wearing Chariot Persona appeared alongside a Persona I'd added from my Side Deck prior to the match. It was a man wearing black clothing and gloves and boots literally made of silver, or at least silver armor plating attached to cloth. Golden wings made of metal linked the hands and feet, and a golden bird-like helmet covered his face.

**Persona of The Magician – Hermes  
****LV 2  
****FIRE  
****Psychic/Effect  
****ATK 600 / DEF 100****  
**

**Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe  
****LV 3  
****LIGHT  
****Psychic/Effect  
****ATK 600 / DEF 0**

"But I'm not done yet! Since **Hermes** is on my field, I'm allowed to Special Summon **Persona of The Hanged Man – Medea** from my Deck!" I added as my Deck auto-shuffled a card to the top, which I took gratefully and placed it on my Duel Disk. Out of a blue portal emerged a tall woman with dark skin and red and yellow flame-like patterns on her arms and legs. She had messy blond hair and her face was somewhat skeletal. In her left hand she held a burning cup, and in the other was a knife.

**Persona of The Hanged Man – Medea  
****LV 3  
****FIRE  
****Psychic/Effect  
****ATK 1100 / DEF 1100**

"And now I'll fuse them together!" I added as my two newest Monsters began to glow.

"What?! You can't do that! You never played a Fusion card!" Akiza protested.

"Actually, I can!" I replied with a smirk. "With a Contact Fusion!" Akiza gasped in realization as the Magician and Hanged Man **Personas** flew into the air and distorted until they began to coalesce into a single shape, which was accompanied by a bright blue light. "Come forth! **Advanced Magician Persona – Trismegistus**!"

When the light dimmed down, a new figure had taken their place. A being reminiscent of Hermes, but with a red and gold color scheme. An extra set of wing-like ornaments were attached to the being's shoulders, while the 'helmet' had grown more complex in design, also now holding a small red gem in its' 'mouth'.

**Advanced Magician Persona – Trismegistus  
****LV 6  
****FIRE  
****Psychic/Fusion/Effect  
****ATK 2200 / DEF 1800**

"And a surprising move by Zero!" MC commented. "He pulled out a Fusion Monster, something thought to be outdated!"

"Now I'll activate **Trismegistus'** first effect. It allows me to recover 500 Life Points once a turn." I explained as the Magician **Persona** spread its' metallic wings and a warm light washed over me.

_**Zero LP: 4500**_

_**Akiza LP: 4000**_

"And now, because of **Tomoe's** effect, I can attack you directly!" I continued as the warrior readied herself. "**Tomoe**! Attack Akiza directly with Skull Cracker!" The feminine Chariot **Persona** leaped into the air and expertly flew right over **Malina** and **Black Rose Dragon** before landing and kicking Akiza in the stomach. Of course, since it was just a hologram, it didn't actually injure her.

_**Zero LP: 4500**_

_**Akiza LP: 3400**_

"I'll end things there with two facedowns." I said as my turn concluded.

"I draw!" Akiza declared, drawing her next card. "I Summon my **Cactus Fighter** in Attack Mode!" As she slapped the card onto the Duel Disk, a humanoid cactus lined with thorns hopped out of a blue portal onto the field.

**Cactus Fighter  
****LV 4  
****EARTH  
****Plant/Effect  
****ATK 1900 / DEF 400**

"Now attack **Persona of The Chariot –** **Tomoe**!" Akiza ordered. The cactus warrior obeyed as it simply waved its' hand and released a storm of needles at **Tomoe**, who was unable to dodge the projectiles in time, resulting in her being shattered into pixels, and one of the needles sticking to the ground where **Tomoe** once stood. And to make matters worse, one of the needles actually managed to somehow find its' way to me, and stick itself in my arm, earning a yell from me.

_**Zero LP: 3200**_

_**Akiza LP: 3400**_

"And when **Cactus Fighter** destroys one of your Monsters, a **Needle Token** is Summoned to your Field!" Akiza added as the thorn stuck in the ground suddenly grew arms, legs, and a face.

**Needle Token  
****LV 1  
****EARTH  
****Plant  
****ATK 500 / DEF 500**

"Now we finally see the wrath of the Black Rose!" MC commented. Dude, not the time.

"**Malina**! Attack **Trismegistus** now!" Akiza commanded. The flowery woman spread her arms and a storm of sunflower petals erupted around the Magician **Persona**, somehow cutting him up and shattering him while a few of the stray petals got at me and cut at my skin a bit. Luckily, since my Persona ability augments my natural physical attributes (like stamina, endurance, my pain threshold, etc.) past normal human levels, this didn't quite hurt. Though, looking at the remaining Monster on her field, I could tell that Akiza was going to enjoy this next move.

_**Zero LP: 2600**_

_**Akiza LP: 3400**_

"**Black Rose Dragon**! Attack that **Needle Token** with Black Rose Flare!" Akiza ordered. Oh hell no!

"I don't think so! I activate my **Evocation** Trap Card!" I countered as my Trap rose, depicting two silhouettes of young men, one holding a silver handgun with the acronym S.E.E.S. placed on the side up to his head, while the other held his hand out to reveal a tarot card covered in blue flames. "I can only activate this card if one of my Monsters is targeted for an attack! This reduces the damage I would take by half!" In the end, I still got blasted by the aftershock of the stream of flames, but it didn't hurt nearly as much as it could have, though I was wounded a bit now, and the **Needle Token** was trashed.

_**Zero LP: 1800**_

_**Akiza LP: 3400**_

"Now… The other effect… of **Evocation** activates…!" I added, still catching my breath from that last attack. "After the Battle Damage is halved, I'm allowed to Summon one **Persona** from my Deck!" My Deck auto-shuffled, as if knowing which card I wanted. "I'll Special Summon **Persona of The Lovers – Io**!" I grabbed the newly shuffled top card and slapped it onto my Duel Disk, Summoning the woman sitting in the cow skull from my Duel with Armstrong, placing her in Defense Mode.

**Persona of The Lovers – Io  
****LV 3  
****WIND  
****Psychic/Effect  
****ATK 1000 / DEF 1300**

"Hmph! I'll end my turn from there." Akiza simply said.

"I draw!" I yelled as I took my next card. "First, I'll activate **Io's** special ability! With it, I can revive one **Persona** from my Graveyard! So I'll bring back **Trismegistus**!" Io released a strange light that opened a portal in the ground, giving rise to the evolved Magician **Persona**.

**Advanced Magician Persona – Trismegistus  
****LV 6  
****FIRE  
****Psychic/Fusion/Effect  
****ATK 2200 / DEF 1800**

I looked in my hand and grinned. _'This is a good start!'_

"Next, I Summon the Tuner Monster, **Chariot Soul**!" I continued as I played my next Monster, which was the girl made of green energy I had Summoned during my first Duel in this world.

**Chariot Soul  
****LV 3  
****LIGHT  
****Psychic/Tuner  
****ATK 0 / DEF 0**

"And now I activate my other Trap! An oldie but goodie, **Persona Skill: Recarm**!" I announced as my most-used Trap revealed itself. "Since I successfully Normal Summoned a Monster this turn, I can Special Summon a **Persona** from my Graveyard! So I'll call **Tomoe** back to the field!" The feminine warrior reappeared.

**Persona of The Chariot – Tomoe  
****LV 3  
****LIGHT  
****Psychic/Effect  
****ATK 600 / DEF 0**

'_I just need to pull off a miracle…'_

"I Tune my Level 3 **Chariot Soul** and my Level 3 **Tomoe**!" I declared.** Tomoe** turned into a tarot card while the **Chariot Soul** simply lost its' form and flowed into the card, producing a flash of light that would give rise to the black and gold-armored samurai.

"_The Arcana is the means by which souls are bound! Determination and drive will now become my power! Synchro Summon! Strike, _**Ultimate Chariot Persona – Haraedo-no-Okami**_!"_

**Ultimate Chariot Persona – Haraedo-no-Okami  
****LV 6  
****EARTH  
****Psychic/Synchro/Effect  
****ATK 2400 / DEF 1000**

"Now, **Haraedo-no-Okami**, use your special ability! Dragon Hustle!" I yelled as a golden dragon appeared and flew around **Io**,** Trismegistus**, and **Haraedo**.

_**(Trismegistus: ATK/DEF – 2200-2700/1800-2300)  
(Io: ATK/DEF – 1000-1500/1300-1800)  
(Haraedo-no-Okami: ATK/DEF – 2400-2900/1000-1500)**_

"What just happened!" Akiza demanded. "Why did their Attack Points go up!"

"That was **Haraedo's** special ability. A little something I like to call Dragon Hustle." I explained. "It raises the Attack Points of all Personas on my field by 500 each, and makes them indestructible through battle."

"And just like that, Zero has given his Monsters a power boost and invincibility!" MC commentated. "What will happen next? Will this give Zero the tactical advantage he needs!?"

"**Haraedo-no-Okami**! Attack **Malina** with Agneyastra!" I commanded. The female samurai twirled her weapon and as if on cue, a rain of meteors obliterated **Malina **in an instant.

_**Zero LP: 1800**_

_**Akiza LP: 3300**_

"I'll end my turn from there." I stated.

"I draw!" Akiza yelled. She drew her card and looked at her current hand, she frowned somewhat, which implied that she didn't have anything decent to play right then and there. She didn't even attack **Io** with **Black Rose**, which would have been easy pickings as far as damage is concerned. So this must mean that she's either unsure of what to do, or she's just toying with me.

I'm inclined to assume the latter is true.

"I'll end my turn with two facedowns." She stated.

"I draw!" I yelled. I inspected Akiza's field and started formulating.

'_I have no clue what those cards could be.'_ I thought. _'Admittedly, I don't know as much about Akiza's Deck as I should, as far as her Spells and Traps are concerned, but if I tread carefully, I might be able to pull a win.'_

"**Haraedo-no-Okami**! Attack **Black Rose Dragon** with Agneyastra!" I commanded. The feminine samurai twirled her weapon and rained down meteors of death and destruction of the opposing dragon. Or so I thought…

"I activate my **Rose Barrier** Trap Card!" Akiza countered, revealing a Trap Card I didn't recognize that depicted **Black Rose Dragon's** form hidden amongst a flurry of rose petals. Then, as if to mimic the card's artwork, a storm of rose petals flew up around the dragon, concealing its' location as the meteors hit. However, they simply collided with the ground, the force of the impacts blew away the crimson petals to reveal an unscathed **Black Rose Dragon**.

"What!?" I exclaimed.

"This Trap Card has an effect unique to **Black Rose Dragon**. When it's chosen for an attack, I can activate this card to prevent its' destruction for the rest of the Battle Phase." Akiza explained calmly, yet with a raised voice.

"But you'll still take the damage." I reminded her as her Life Points decreased.

_**Zero LP: 1800**_

_**Akiza LP: 2800**_

"And now, I'll attack with **Trismegistus**! Go, Agilao!" I said as the Magician **Persona** flew upward and flung a fireball from its' mouth. However, another storm of rose petals simply shot up and blocked mot of the attack.

_**Zero LP: 1800**_

_**Akiza LP: 2500**_

"And thanks to **Trismegistus'** special ability, he can attack a second time during my Battle Phase!" I explained, earning a gasp of surprise from the opposing Duelist. "**Trismegistus**, attack again with Double Fangs!" The **Persona **flew forward and used its' wings as blades to slash at **Black Rose**, but the petal barrier simply took the majority of the attack.

_**Zero LP: 1800**_

_**Akiza LP: 2200**_

"And before I end my turn, **Trismegistus** will give me an extra 500 Life Points!" I added as **Trismeistus' **Spring of Life ability kicked in, a warm glow falling over me.

_**Zero LP: 2300**_

_**Akiza LP: 2200**_

"Your move." I stated.

"I draw!" Akiza declared. "You know, I gotta thank you for helping me get some extra cards, because now I can play this, my **Seed of Deception** Spell Card! I'm now allowed to Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from my hand, so I Special Summon my **Dark Verger**!" A two-leaved plant with a pair of eyes growing out of said leaves sprouted onto the field.

**Dark Verger  
****LV 2  
****EARTH  
****Plant/Effect  
****ATK 0 / DEF 1000**

"And now I'll Release my **Dark Verger** to Advance Summon my **Rose Tentacles**!" The feeble plant vanished as it transmogrified into a multicolored portal, replacing it with an octopus-like Monster with a rose motif.

**Rose Tentacles  
LV 6  
EARTH  
Plant/Effect  
ATK 2200 / DEF 1200**

"Next I activate **Black Rose Dragon's** ability! Once per turn, I can banish a Plant-Type Monster from my Graveyard and then one of my opponent's Monsters gets switched to Attack Mode and has its' Attack Points dropped to zero. And I think** Io** is a good candidate!"

"That's not good!" Juno exclaimed in realization.

'_You don't have to tell me twice…'_ I thought.

"I banish **Dark Verger** from my Graveyard to force **Io** into Attack Mode and reduce its' Attack Points to zero!" Akiza yelled as a ghostly image of said Plant-Type rose from the ground and got super-chomped by **Black Rose**. Glowing purple vines lined with thorns then wrapped themselves around **Io** temporarily, but long enough to drain her power.

_**(PoTL – Io: ATK – 1500-0)**_

Just. Frickin'. Lovely.

"Now **Black Rose Dragon**! Attack with Black Rose Flare!" Akiza ordered. The dragon obeyed its' master and hurled a stream of dark purple flames my way. I looked at the cards in my hand and reacted quickly.

"I activate the Spell Card **Cadenza**!" I countered as my lifesaving Spell activated. "With this, your attack is negated, and I gain 1000 Life Points!" A green aura surrounded Io as she dodged the attack with lightning speed. I then felt my Life Points being restored again.

_**Zero LP: 3300**_

_**Akiza LP: 2200**_

"You're not getting away that easily!" Akiza countered as she held up a Spell Card. "I play **Twin Rose**! If I attack with **Black Rose Dragon** and it fails, I can attack a second time, at the price of cutting my Monster's Attack Points in half until the end of the turn!" I could tell that the dragon had weakened in response to the card's activation.

_**(Black Rose Dragon: ATK – 2400-1200)**_

"You're kidding!" I yelled in surprise. The black dragon hurled another blast at **Io**, who was unable to avoid it this time. I got hit by the aftershock, and boy did it hurt. I got hurled back by the power and I landed on my ass as a result. Hell, I came pretty close to falling off the field area.

_**Zero LP: 2100**_

_**Akiza LP: 2200**_

"Oh boy! Now that's gotta hurt!" MC shouted. No shit Sherlock. After I got up with some retaliation from my sore body, I heard everyone in the stadium shouting some sort of insult or booing.

"A witch!"

"It's true!"

"That girl's a witch!"

"Cheater!"

"She's dangerous!"

"Get her out of here!"

"And now I play a Spell Card known as **Swift Thorn**!" Akiza added, playing a Spell depicting a thorny vine rocketing its' way towards a person guarded by other Monsters. "This allows me to bypass your Monsters and attack you directly with one of my Plant-Type Monsters!"

Just. Great.

"This will finish you off! **Rose Tentacles** attack and end this duel with Rose Retaliation!" Akiza ordered.

…I'm really starting to regret this decision.

The thorny tentacles of the Monster wrapped around my waist tightly while the thorns pierced my skin and flesh. I yelled in pain as the source of my bindings lifted me slowly into the air.

"Zero! Are you alright?" Juno yelled in concern.

"Look at you up there, hopeless and alone!" Akiza shouted. "No one can help you and no one wants to! Now you know what it feels like to be me in this cruel, cold world!" I grunted in pain as I simply floated up there. I glared straight at Akiza and what I found was disturbing. The corners of her mouth had turned up into a grin bordering on sadistic.

'_She's smiling…'_ I thought. _'She's having the time of her life seeing me in pain…'_

Oh right, being owned by **Rose Tentacles**.

I looked at the last two cards in my hand, and acted quickly.

"I activate the Spell Card, **Infinity**!" I yelled as I held out the card, depicting a white barrier surrounding a young man. "With this, I take no Battle Damage from battles this turn!" As I played the card, a barrier of white energy formed around my body just in the nick of time. **Rose Tentacles** slammed me into the ground hard, and I mean HARD. I'm surprised I could get up at all after that.

Sadly, Infinity's card form doesn't prevent pain…

Man do I look like a wreck. There were actually tears in my clothes from where **Rose Tentacles** grabbed me, and there was a nasty gash there on my waist too. And add that to the bruises caused by that impact just now, and I'm just your regular punching bag.

"Zero!" Juno yelled in shock.

"Damn… This is gonna be tough…" I grunted.

"Zero! There's something you should know." Juno warned.

_-Huh? What is it?-_ I asked mentally.

"That girl…" Juno trailed off. "Her Shadow is doing something to her."

_-What?!-_ I asked in shock. _-What does that even mean?-_

"I'm not sure, but I can sense something odd about that girl's Shadow!" Juno explained worriedly. "The most I can gather is that it's influencing her behavior somehow!"

_-But how do we stop it?-_ I asked.

"I-I don't know." Juno replied.

'_Dammit!'_ I thought, but then tried to think through this carefully_. 'Right now, Akiza only thinks that her feelings are reality. So… I might be able to save her if I can convince her otherwise…'_ I stopped upon realizing something. _'But what about her Shadow then…? If what Juno said is true, then I'd be making Akiza deny her true feelings…'_

"So, are you going to give up?" Akiza called to me amidst my thoughts.

'_Damn… I have no choice, do I?'_ I thought.

"I think I understand it now…" I said to the Plant Duelist. "…Why you're attacking like this."

"Really? And why would that be?"

"Because of how people treated you." I replied. "You want their pain to make you feel better. You want them to understand what you went through."

"...You're right. And for the rest of this duel, I really plan on making myself feel better!" Akiza yelled.

"No. Not like this. You can't duel like this Akiza! I know that people have been cruel to you because of your mark and your psychic powers, but forcing your feelings onto other people isn't the right thing to do! I want to help you Akiza!" I shouted.

"Save it! I don't need your help!" Akiza spat out.

"You do!" I retorted.

_-Juno, I need you to do something for me.-_ I said mentally.

"What is it?" Juno asked.

_-Can you distort the area outside of this Dueling field?-_ I asked._ -Distort it so that everyone besides the three of us only sees and hears certain things?-_

"You mean in case you need to fight her Shadow if it comes out?" Juno asked for confirmation.

_-Yeah.-_ I replied.

"Sorry, I can't." she replied apologetically.

_-In that case… If I give the signal, then I need you to freeze time for as long as you can.-_ I said.

"Okay then." Juno replied with a nod.

"I'll end my turn from there." Akiza said with a sadistic grin. And with that, **Black Rose Dragon** was back at full strength.

_**(Black Rose Dragon – ATK: 1200-2400)**_

"My move!" I declared as I drew my next card. I inspected Akiza's field. I could easily clear out Akiza's field and end this, but I can't afford to be that reckless. Still have no clue what that facedown might be, it could be another **Rose Barrier** for all I know. I looked at the cards in my hand at the moment. One was a Trap Card be for emergencies only, and the other was a Trap I could use to stall. I sighed as I concluded I had no better options. "I'll set two cards facedown and call it a turn."

"Is that all?" Akiza asked mockingly. "My move!" she drew her card and kept that damn grin on her face. "I Summon **Phoenixian Seed**!" Uprooting from the ground was a dark red seed topped with red leaves and a cluster of roots coming from the underside. It opened its eyelid to reveal a yellow eye.

**Phoenixian Seed  
LV 2  
FIRE  
Plant/Effect  
ATK 800 / DEF 0**

"And then, by sending it to the Graveyard, I can Summon **Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis** from my hand!" Akiza continued. Next, the seed started to sprout at an accelerated rate and soon grew to an immense size, now taking the form of a large plant with golden leaves hanging from the sides like hands, crimson leaves up top and finally the flower head, which had the vague shape of that of a phoenix.

**Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis  
LV 8  
FIRE  
Plant/Effect  
ATK 2200 / DEF 0**

"But I'm not done yet, I play my **Mark of the Rose** Spell Card! I have to remove a Plant-type Monster from my Graveyard, and then I can control one of your Monsters. So now, I think I'll take **Haraedo-no-Okami**!" Akiza removed **Twilight Rose Knight** from play, and a small mark shaped like a rose subsequently manifested on the samurai's shoulder armor. She then leapt onto Akiza's field and turned to face me in opposition.

'_Dammit! No!'_ I thought in anger.

"Now, **Haraedo-no-Okami**! Attack **Io** with Agneyastra!" Akiza commanded. The turncoat samurai twirled her weapon and meteors rained down as per usual.

'_This one's for you Gramps…'_ I thought.

"I activate the **Totem Pole** Trap Card!" I countered as my set card rose, and a three-tiered totem pole appeared before me. I glanced into the crowd and saw Yanagi dancing around like a kid in a candy store. "With this card, I'm allowed to negate up to three attacks during the course of this Duel!" The top portion of the structure flew forward and suicide-bombed the meteors headed my way. Akiza glared at me in annoyance.

"Akiza…" I said. "We don't have to fight like this! I can help you!"

"I never asked for your help!" Akiza snapped. "I end my turn from there."

"My turn!" I said as I drew a full hand due to tourney rules. I looked at the five new cards and formulated a strategy.

'_This'll be tough.'_ I thought. _'She has the strongest Monster on the field now, so she has the tactical advantage…' _I bit my lip in thought. _'I have a few things that might help here though…'_

"I'll start out by Summoning the Tuner Monster, **Fool Soul**!" I declared as I summon the **Soul** version of myself.

_**Fool Soul  
**__**LV 1  
**__**LIGHT  
**__**Psychic/Tuner  
**__**ATK 0 / DEF 0**_

"Then, I play **Synchro Boost**!" I continued. "And I'll equip it to my **Fool Soul** in order to raise its' Level by 1, and its' Attack and Defense Points by 500 each!" And with that, everything was set.

_**(Fool Soul: LV – 1-2, ATK/DEF: 0-500/0-500)**_

"Now witness my inner strength, Akiza!" I said as **Fool Soul** and **Trismegistus** took to the sky. "I'm Tuning Level 2 **Fool Soul** to Level 6 **Trismegistus**!"

"_The Arcana is the means by which souls are bound! Limitless potential now flows through my body! Synchro Summon! Come forth, my other self! _**Persona of The Fool – Percival**_!"_

As I finished my chant, my ace Monster and inner strength appeared on the field, brandishing his sword and roaring authoritatively.

**Persona of The Fool – Percival  
****LV 8  
****WIND  
****Psychic/Synchro/Effect  
****ATK 3000 / DEF 2000**

"And so Zero's ace Monster has finally taken to the field!" MC yelled in excitement. "Get ready, ladies and gents! Because **Percival** is about to do battle with a whole new kind of foe; the **Black Rose Dragon**!" Then, as **Percival** appeared, my Mark of The Fool began to pulse, along with the mark on Akiza's arms.

"Your marks!" I said. "They're glowing!"

"And I wish they were gone!" Akiza yelled. "They've caused me nothing but pain all my life! All they do is brand me as a witch in the eyes of others!"

"You're wrong!" I protested. "Having those marks doesn't make you a witch Akiza! They make you special! That's entirely different from being a witch! We don't have to be enemies, I _could _be your friend!"

"Having a friend isn't a choice, because my powers can hurt everyone around me. I just can't do it. It's something that I can _never _do. And that's why it's so much easier to wear a mask; it's amazing how little you care about other people when you can live behind a wall of plaster and paint, even if it is only the size of your face. And besides… No one gets how I feel… they don't understand…!"

"Having a friend is something you _can_ do. You just have to open up to others. I'm more than willing to help you with that." I said. "And that stuff about people not understanding how you feel? I don't believe it one bit! You're not the only one whose had to experience pain! I can help you understand that, Akiza."

"No. You can't help me. No one can…" Akiza said as she pulled out her white plaster mask and held it to her face.

"Don't you dare put on that mask Akiza!" I shouted. "That mask will only show people the shadow of who you are!"

"I've already made my decision. I... need the mask. Without it, it's too... easy to be hurt…" That was the last thing she said before she put the plaster covering on. Now, the Black Rose stood before me.

"Nice mask, scaredy-cat!" One spectator taunted.

"Happy Halloween!" Another sneered.

"Akiza! Listen to me!"

"No! You listen! This discussion is over!" I could feel loads of psychic power radiating from her body as the metallic hairpiece in her hair flew out and clattered to the ground, Causing Akiza's long bangs to unfurl and hang in her face. "Now end your turn so I can finish this!"

"Akiza… With **Percival**, I'll fight to show you the truth!" I said decidedly. "When Percival is Summoned, he gets two Soul Counters! And his Attack and Defense Points increase for every Counter he has multiplied by one-hundred!" Percival gained two symbols on his shoulders.

_**(PoTF – Percival: SC – 0-2, ATK/DEF – 3000-3200/2000-2200))**_

"**Percival**, attack **Black Rose Dragon **with Garula!" The Fool **Persona** obeyed, roaring and flapping his sleek wings to create a wild gust of wind throughout the field.

"I activate my second **Rose Barrier**!" Akiza countered as a wall of rose petals blocked Percival's attack. "So now my dragon is safe!"

"But you'll still feel **Percival's** power!" I reminded her.

_**Zero LP: 2100**_

_**Akiza LP: 1400**_

"And now, I'll activate **Persona Skill: Divine Wind**!" I continued as I played a Spell Card depicting a massive green tornado surrounding **Blue-Eyes White Dragon**. "With this, you'll receive 800 points of damage if I control a Wind-Attribute Monster! Since both Monsters on my field are of the Wind-Attribute, you'll take 800 points head on!" A large hurricane-force wind kicked up and blew through the field.

_**Zero LP: 2100**_

_**Akiza LP: 600**_

"I'll end by switching **Io** to Defense Mode and placing one facedown." I said with a calm anger while setting a card.

"I draw!" Akiza yelled from behind her mask. "Now I activate **Black Rose Dragon's **ability! I banish a Plant-Type Monster, and one of your Monster's Attack Points drops to zero _and_ gets switched to Attack Mode! And I'll choose **Io** again!" Akiza removed **Lonefire Blossom** from play and glowing purple vines lined with thorns wrapped around **Io** once more before vanishing, signifying that the power of the Lovers **Persona** had been drained.

_**(PoTL – Io: ATK – 1500-0)**_

"**Black Rose Dragon**! Attack and end this with Black Rose Flare!" Akiza ordered. The dragon hurled a blast of purple flames at me, which collided with **Io** and triggered a bit of an explosion.

"Zero!" Juno yelled in concern. As the smoke cleared, I managed to get up, albeit very slowly. The smoke cleared away to reveal that something was different about the totem pole on the field. Namely, the middle section was missing.

"**Totem Pole's**… effect activates for… the second time…" I said, trying to catch my breath. "And… The attack is negated…"

"I don't believe it folks!" MC shouted in excitement and surprise. "Zero's **Totem Pole** Trap Card saved him just in the nick of time! The final match of the semi-finals has given us one of the most intense Duels yet!"

"Why? Why can't you just give up!?" Akiza shouted. I didn't say anything at first, unsure of what to say. But then, I found the words.

"Akiza… you don't have to do this. You don't have to hurt other people. I know people have hurt you because of your powers and all, but that doesn't mean that you have to hurt them back. Two wrongs don't make a right. Please Akiza; let me be your friend!"

"Shut up! Why do you even care!? You don't even know anything about me! You don't understand the pain I've experienced! No one understands me...! All I want is a normal life, but I can't have one. I tried to ignore all the name-calling and teasing, but it's no use. Destruction has followed me wherever I go. The more I ran the more people I hurt. You have no idea what I have to go through! My parents abandoned me, my classmates rejected me, and all of them hated me. All my life, I have lived in loneliness and despair. That is something you have never gone through and will never understand-!"

"You're wrong! I know _exactly_ what you mean!" I yelled. Akiza froze for a second from my outburst. "I…"

"Zero?" Juno asked.

"I've been through all that…" I said. "I know what it's like… The loneliness, the pain of solitude…" Painful memories began to churn in my head. "My parents were killed right in front of me… And I grew up in an orphanage most of my life." I clenched my fists as I continued. "I never had any friends, and I was always on my own. Akiza, you're not the only one who's suffered. Everyone has at one point. Hell, you're talking to someone whose been through everything you have." Akiza said nothing.

"Don't you get it yet?" I continued. "You're not alone in all this, Akiza. If you just let others in, they'll come to know you as Akiza, and not the 'Black Rose'. People like me."

"No! you're lying…" Akiza said. "You-AH!" Suddenly, Akiza screamed and clutched her head. A red light began to shine underneath her Duel Disk, and I knew this wasn't a good sign.

_-Juno! Freeze everything now!-_ I signaled the goddess.

"Right!" Juno said as the noise from the crowd and the movement of everything outside the Dueling field ceased outright. Then, a flash of crimson light blinded me and, when I was able to see again, I saw two Akiza's. One was the normal one, who was now looking at the second in shock, the latter of the two having a dark aura around her.

"Huh? W-Who-?" Akiza stuttered.

"**Ahaha! That was so easy!"** the second Akiza said amusedly. **"All I had to do was wait for her to get worked up enough, and I could get out of there."**

'_Wait, it was trying to manifest itself the whole time?'_ I mentally wondered. _'I never even thought a Shadow could do that…'_

"W-Who are you?" Akiza got out.

"**What? You don't recognize me?"** the second girl asked. **"I… am you. The part of you that's always locked up."**

'_Locked up? Heh, she's been unloading her feelings this whole time.'_ I thought. _'Unless… Was it affecting her behavior while it was inside her?'_

"That doesn't make sense! Who are you, really?" Akiza demanded, though I could tell she was freaked out on the inside.

"**I already told you, I'm you, and you're me."** The second Akiza repeated.

Then, it chuckled**. "'Nobody understands me'! 'They have no idea how I feel, all the pain I experienced'!"** It said mockingly.

"N-No! I don't feel that way!" Akiza protested. Yeah, I'd definitely say that the Shadow was influencing her behavior somehow. "I've never thought that way!"

"**Ahaha! Of course you have!"** Shadow Akiza argued back. **"You hate everyone for how they treated you, all because you were a little different. You despised them because they avoided you when they could. Even your own parents thought you were a freak!"**

"I…I…' Akiza said, starting to lose her cool.

"**Just face it. You hate everything because of all that."** The Shadow summed up. **"And you can't deny it. Why, you ask? Because… we're one in the same."**

"No!" Akiza yelled. "There's no way that you're me! I'd never think like that!"

Well… Damn.

The Shadow began to laugh. Softly at first, but then it slowly built into an all-out insane cackle.

"**Go on! Say it again! I dare you!"** Shadow Akiza challenged. **"Deny the truth!"**

"I said you're not me!" Akiza yelled. The Shadow continued to cackle.

"**You're right!"** it yelled between laughing fits. **"I'm my own person now! I'm me and nobody else!"** Before I had time to react, Shadow Akiza's aura had grown darker than before. Soon, I could feel power rising from within it.

"Dammit!" I yelled in anger.

"**This feeling…"** Shadow Akiza said. **"It just keeps building and building… If it keeps up like this, I might**…!" The rest of that sentence was cut off by the black aura consuming her completely, and somehow muting her words. Glancing towards Akiza, I saw her swaying side to side, presumably losing her balance. I then ran forward and caught her just as she fainted and fell to the ground.

"Akiza!" I yelled, trying to wake her up. Looking back towards the Shadow, I beheld its' true form.

It was vastly similar to **Black Rose Dragon**, except the colors on it were inverted. It also lacked a neck and head, and in place of these was the actual Shadow's human body, dressed in the usual cloak and mask of the Black Rose, seemingly either riding the draconic body like a vehicle, or perhaps fused to it.

"**I am a shadow… of your true inner self…"** The Shadow spoke. I grit my teeth in annoyance. Seeing that my attempts to wake Akiza up were fruitless, I placed her gently on the ground at a safe distance and walked towards my new adversary. I closed my eyes and concentrated, willing my inner power to extend beyond my body.

"And I am Zero… your opponent." I stated as I opened my eyes and seeing the Mark of The Fool on my hand. I moved my lips to pronounce my next word.

"Persona!"

_**OK, so I bet you didn't see that coming, eh? The Duel got interrupted by an uninvited guest. So next chapter will be the battle against Shadow Akiza.**_

_**And speaking of Akiza, I'm sure you guys are wondering why I am:**_

_**1). Revealing her Shadow Self.**_

_**2). Giving her new cards.**_

_**This is mainly to change things up a bit. The Shadow for obvious reasons, and the cards because I felt like going Hard Mode for this Duel.**_

_**And speaking of cards…**_

_**Rose Barrier  
Normal Trap Card**_  
When a "Black Rose Dragon" you control is targeted for an attack: Negate that attack. Also, that "Black Rose Dragon" you control cannot be destroyed by Battle until the End Phase.

_**Twin Rose  
Normal Spell Card**_  
If a "Black Rose Dragon" you control has its' attack negated: You may halve its' ATK to have it attack again.

_**Swift Thorn  
Equip Spell Card**_  
This card can only be equipped to a Plant-Type Monster you control. The equipped monster may attack your opponent directly.

_**Infinity  
Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_You take no Battle Damage from battles this turn Also, cards you control cannot be destroyed by Battle or card effects until your next Standby Phase._**  
(This card is now a part of Zero's Main Deck)**_

_**{From Side Deck}**_

_**Persona of The Magician – Hermes  
LV 2  
FIRE  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 600 / DEF 100  
**_Effect – This card can attack twice during your Battle Phase.

_**Persona of The Hanged Man – Medea  
LV 3  
FIRE  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 1100 / DEF 1100  
**_Effect – If you control a face-up "Persona of The Magician – Hermes": You can Special Summon this card from your Deck. Once per turn: Gain 500 Life Points.

_**Advanced Magician Persona – Trismegistus  
LV 6  
FIRE  
Psychic/Fusion/Effect  
ATK 2200 / DEF 1800  
Fusion Materials – "Persona of The Magician – Hermes" + "Persona of The Hanged Man – Medea"  
**_Effect – This card can only be Fusion Summoned by sending the above Materials from the field to the Graveyard (you do not use "Polymerization"). Once per turn: Gain 500 Life Points. This card can attack twice during the Battle Phase.

_**Evocation  
Normal Trap Card  
**_When a Monster your opponent controls attacks a Monster you control. Reduce the damage you would take by half and Special Summon 1 "Persona" Monster from your Deck.


	11. Reah Out To The Truth, Part 2

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 10: Reach Out To The Truth, Part 2—**_

"Don't you get it yet?" I continued. "You're not alone in all this, Akiza. If you just let others in, they'll come to know you as Akiza, and not the 'Black Rose'. People like me."

"No! you're lying…" Akiza said. "You-AH!" Suddenly, Akiza screamed and clutched her head. A red light began to shine underneath her Duel Disk, and I knew this wasn't a good sign.

_-Juno! Freeze everything now!-_ I signaled the goddess.

"Right!" Juno said as the noise from the crowd and the movement of everything outside the Dueling field ceased outright. Then, a flash of crimson light blinded me and, when I was able to see again, I saw two Akiza's. One was the normal one, who was now looking at the second in shock, the latter of the two having a dark aura around her.

"Huh? W-Who-?" Akiza stuttered.

"**Ahaha! That was so easy!"** the second Akiza said amusedly. **"All I had to do was wait for her to get worked up enough, and I could get out of there."**

'_Wait, it was trying to manifest itself the whole time?'_ I mentally wondered. _'I never even thought a Shadow could do that…'_

"W-Who are you?" Akiza got out.

"**What? You don't recognize me?"** the second girl asked. **"I… am you. The part of you that's always locked up."**

'_Locked up? Heh, she's been unloading her feelings this whole time.'_ I thought. _'Unless… Was it affecting her behavior while it was inside her?'_

"That doesn't make sense! Who are you, really?" Akiza demanded, though I could tell she was freaked out on the inside.

"**I already told you, I'm you, and you're me."** The second Akiza repeated.

Then, it chuckled**. "'Nobody understands me'! 'They have no idea how I feel, all the pain I experienced'!"** It said mockingly.

"N-No! I don't feel that way!" Akiza protested. Yeah, I'd definitely say that the Shadow was influencing her behavior somehow. "I've never thought that way!"

"**Ahaha! Of course you have!"** Shadow Akiza argued back. **"You hate everyone for how they treated you, all because you were a little different. You despised them because they avoided you when they could. Even your own parents thought you were a freak!"**

"I…I…' Akiza said, starting to lose her cool.

"**Just face it. You hate everything because of all that."** The Shadow summed up. **"And you can't deny it. Why, you ask? Because… we're one in the same."**

"No!" Akiza yelled. "There's no way that you're me! I'd never think like that!"

Well… Damn.

The Shadow began to laugh. Softly at first, but then it slowly built into an all-out insane cackle.

"**Go on! Say it again! I dare you!"** Shadow Akiza challenged. **"Deny the truth!"**

"I said you're not me!" Akiza yelled. The Shadow continued to cackle.

"**You're right!"** it yelled between laughing fits. **"I'm my own person now! I'm me and nobody else!"** Before I had time to react, Shadow Akiza's aura had grown darker than before. Soon, I could feel power rising from within it.

"Dammit!" I yelled in anger.

"**This feeling…"** Shadow Akiza said. **"It just keeps building and building… If it keeps up like this, I might**…!" The rest of that sentence was cut off by the black aura consuming her completely, and somehow muting her words. Glancing towards Akiza, I saw her swaying side to side, presumably losing her balance. I then ran forward and caught her just as she fainted and fell to the ground.

"Akiza!" I yelled, trying to wake her up. Looking back towards the Shadow, I beheld its' true form.

It was vastly similar to **Black Rose Dragon**, except the colors on it were inverted. It also lacked a neck and head, and in place of these was the actual Shadow's human body, dressed in the usual cloak and mask of the Black Rose, seemingly either riding the draconic body like a vehicle, or perhaps fused to it.

**|BGM: I'll Face Myself –Battle– (from Persona 4).|**

"**I am a shadow… of your true inner self…"** The Shadow spoke. I grit my teeth in annoyance. Seeing that my attempts to wake Akiza up were fruitless, I placed her gently on the ground at a safe distance and walked towards my new adversary. I closed my eyes and concentrated, willing my inner power to extend beyond my body.

"And I am Zero… your opponent." I stated as I opened my eyes and seeing the Mark of The Fool on my hand. I moved my lips to pronounce my next word.

"Persona!"

And with that, Percival appeared above me, his sleek wings flapping powerfully to keep him aloft. "Juno, keep Akiza safe and make sure that her Shadow doesn't attack her while I beat it down." The goddess nodded while I stared down the massive Shadow. I willed Percival to charge, and he did so in the blink of an eye while brandishing his sword.

"**Zan-ei**!" I commanded. Percival obeyed and gathered energy into his blade before swinging it through the air. A wave of energy was unleashed from it that rocketed towards Shadow Akiza. The attack hit home and drove the draconic Shadow back a bit. However, she retaliated a bit.

"Back off!" It yelled. "**Poison Skewer**!" The thorny vines behind the creature began to glow a sickly purple and shot forward at me. I managed to dodge the incoming appendages and Percival batted them away with his sword.

"**Garula**!" I shouted. Percival roared and flapped his wings, releasing a powerful gust of wind at the Shadow. Sadly, I didn't account for what would happen next, as Shadow Akiza simply floated there while a soft glow radiated from her body.

'_Shit! She absorbs Wind attacks!'_ I thought in annoyance. I willed Percival to charge forward and slash away at the Shadow to make up for the strength it had recovered thanks to my **Garula**.

"**Mighty Swing**!" I commanded. Percival rushed forward and delivered a much stronger slash to Shadow Akiza's chest and drove it back a bit more. "**Sukukaja**!" Upon command, a green aura flared up around Percival and I. With my speed increased, it was simple for me to dash forward, leap upwards, and slash at Shadow Akiza with my hook swords. I leapt backwards to get some distance from my opponent.

"**Kill Rush**!" Shadow Akiza shouted. The thorny vines it possessed shot forward again, but this time, it was more aggressive in manner, and I was unable to evade it in time, being struck violently by the black vines and getting scratched up by the thorns lining them.

"**Mind Slice**!" I yelled, willing Percival to execute his newest Skill. He spun around quickly with his sword outstretched, creating a wave of yellowish-white force which spread out in a wide area of effect, including where Shadow Akiza tried to evade my move. It grunted in pain before trying to attack me, but failing as it wobbled in the air, seemingly unable to concentrate properly.

'_Yes! It's Confused! This is my chance!'_ I yelled in my head cheerfully. Percival and I charged forward as one and started wailing on the Shadow as much as we could. Though I'd managed to Confuse it, it didn't stay that way for long, and soon managed to drive us back when **Counter** kicked in on it.

Man, I hate **Counter**…

I stumbled back from the power of **Counter** and switched to Penthesilea for a quick **Dia**. I then started spamming **Bufula** a few times to damage the Shadow further. I then switched to Konohana Sakuya.

"**Agilao**!" I yelled, to which Konohana twirled once around and released small spore-like particles, which unleashed a wave of intense fire once they made contact with Shadow Akiza.

"**Ugh! Why can't you just give up!?"** Shadow Akiza shouted in anger. Suddenly, sickly-green smoke began pouring out of who-knows-where on the Shadow.

"Zero! Be careful! That's **Stagnant Air**!" Juno warned.

"I know!" I replied worriedly.

'_Damn, she must be trying to Poison me like she did earlier…'_ I thought. _'Why else would she go out of her way to use something like __**Stagnant Air**__…?'_

"**It's no use! Take this!"** I cringed at one of the video game lines that got burned into my skull a few years back as the wings of the Shadow dimly glowed. **"Virus Wave!"** Then, before I could react, a wave of bluish-purple power surged out from the wings of the Shadow. I was so surprised by the attack that I got hit by the force before I could properly dodge. I yelled in pain as I got thrown back by the sheer force of the attack. I tried getting up from it, but pain wracked through my body in the process.

That, and I felt absolutely sick to my stomach all of a sudden. I ended up vomiting while trying to stand, and I could see traces of blood in the resulting puke.

Yep. Poisoned. Real bad.

I pretty much couldn't attack because of this. I was low on stamina, and the Poison effect was slowly but surely reaching the more important organs in my body and screwing them over. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if it reached my heart soon, and God only knows what'll happen then.

"Dammit…" I said as I coughed up a little blood. "It can't end here…!"

"Zero!" Juno yelled in concern.

"**Ahaha! Too easy."** Shadow Akiza said. **"Now I can finish you off and get you out of my way… I'll make you feel the pain I did**!" The Shadow prepared another **Virus Wave**, and I panicked. I knew that in my state, I wouldn't have a chance of surviving that.

"**Magnara**!" I heard a voice yell from behind me. Then, before I could identify the voice, I saw a group of three boulders go flying straight into the Shadow's chest, knocking it back, and disrupting the **Virus Wave's** preparation.

"Huh?" I asked aloud. I turned around to see Juno staring down the Shadow, with a pink glow shining from underneath her dress; a 'VI' that radiated a pink light on her left breast. Next to her stood a young woman clothed in a gold-colored dress, long reddish-brown hair that flowed behind her, and silver armor plating on her shoulders and waist. On her back was a white heart-shaped lyre.

Eurydice of The Lovers Arcana.

"Juno? You have a Persona?" I asked in surprise.

"No time for that." Juno said as a purplish light radiated from Eurydice and washed over me. Almost immediately, the sickness I felt from the Poison had vanished, and I suddenly found the strength to get back up. "I've neutralized the Poison, can you keep going?" I nodded. Suddenly, a rapier appeared in Juno's hands, signifying she was ready for battle.

"**Diarama**!" I called out as Konohana Sakuya appeared and bathed me with a warm, soothing power that restored my stamina. I stood back up and readied my hook swords.

**"You're still resisting?"** Shadow Akiza asked in anger. **"Fine then! I'll inflict more pain than you can handle!"** Suddenly, a wind began to blow around, and petals from the Shadow's wings began to come off and fly about in the air current. "**Furious Roses**!" The wind picked up even more and the petals began to fly everywhere. The petals themselves surrounded Juno and I, shredding through our clothes and producing some nasty cuts in our skin in the process. I had Konohana cast **Media** to heal us both and continued by spamming **Agilao** while Juno kept hitting Shadow Akiza with **Magnara**.

"Omoikane!" I yelled as the yellow Mark of The Priestess on my cheek vanished in favor of the Mark of The Hierophant on my forehead, allowing me to call forth the Japanese knowledge deity. "**Zio**!" Upon my command, the blue eyes of the brain glowed, and a bolt of electrical energy shot down from the sky and hit Shadow Akiza dead on. She yelled in pain and fell to the ground, creating a large crater in the process.

Yay for exploiting weaknesses!

"This is our chance for an All-Out Attack!" Juno informed me. I nodded and led the charge. We both rushed into the Shadow's personal space as we hit it with everything we had. I slashed the hell out of it with my hook swords, and Juno stabbed it with her rapier. Within seconds, the Shadow screamed in agony with its' last breath and dissolved into a cloud of black smoke. When the cloud dissipated, Shadow Akiza was back in her human form on her knees, almost as if in exhaustion. Juno and I stepped back and willed our Personas to vanish.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of power from inside of me, and it felt like something had changed.

'_Omoikane has learned __**Resist Wind**__…'_

'_Eurydice has learned __**Diarama**__…'_

Sweet.

_**|BGM Change: I'll Face Myself (from Persona 4).|**_

I walked over to Akiza's unconscious body and tried waking her up again. This time around, she began to stir and opened her eyes. "Hey, you alright?"

"Huh?" She wondered aloud. "…Zero?" She looked around and didn't see the monstrous Shadow from before. "Is it over?"

"Not yet." I replied as I helped her to her feet and gestured to the doppelganger a few feet away from us. "You still have to accept it."

"But I'm…" Akiza began to protest, but I stopped her.

"If you don't, then it'll just go berserk again and try to kill you." I explained. Akiza still looked hesitant. "It's okay. Everyone has something they want to ignore. And that over there is your something."

"But still…" she said.

"But nothing." I said gently. "That thing came from you, and that makes it a part of you. You hated everyone because they mocked you for being different." The Plant Duelist looked like she wanted to protest, but didn't act on it. "That may have been the case, but you still pushed through all that pain… What I'm getting at, is that there's more to you than what your Shadow told you." Akiza seemed to understand and slowly walked over to the now-standing, docile, and sad-looking Shadow.

"…" Akiza didn't speak at first. "…It hurts to face yourself, doesn't it? I mean, I knew it wasn't lying but... I was so ashamed I didn't want to admit it." She turned to face her other self. "When I think about it… I guess you had your own pain to deal with… All because I ignored you for so long…" She stepped forward and hugged the Shadow, as if the two had been friends for ages. In the process, the plaster mask the Shadow was wearing fell off and clattered to the ground, revealing its' yellow eyes and a face that was not unlike Akiza's. "I'm sorry for that. I should have been honest with myself from the start…"

The Shadow's eyes glowed dimly and a satisfied smile crossed its' lips. The pair was consumed in a brilliant crimson light. Shadow Akiza soon vanished, and the true Akiza looked up to see what had replaced it.

It was a being not unlike the Shadow that had previously attempted to kill the Plant Duelist, yet it had its' own differences. For one, while the actual Shadow had been separate from the draconic body, this new being was both in a single form. Though it took more of a humanoid approach in its' appearance, resembling a young woman in black battle armor that was layered over a rose-red dress, and dark blue boots. And to top it off, crimson armor plates with a rose motif served as armor for the young woman's shoulders. Her hair was similar to Akiza's in color, being a dark burgundy, and her eyes were a sky blue.

Akiza's strength of heart…

Otohime of the Strength Arcana.

Which is another thing, I noticed that Akiza's Arcana had changed from Hunger to Strength ever since her Shadow had split from her.

"... This is my Persona..." Akiza muttered as she began losing her balance and soon began to fall over. I managed to catch her in my arms before she could hit the ground. She looked about as tired as I was. "I'm okay… I'm just a little tired…"

_**|BGM End|**_

As I looked around, I noticed that all the damage done to the stadium had been repaired by Juno, and time had resumed on me without warning. The noise of the crowd had died down somewhat as they started to wonder what the hell just happened.

"U-Uh… Um…" MC said with a hint of panic as he presumably tried to assess the situation. "S-Sorry folks! I guess I spaced out there…? Heh heh." I could tell that even he didn't believe that, but went with it out of lack of evidence otherwise. "W-Well, by the looks of it, Akiza Izinski is unable to continue the Duel, so Zero is the winner by default! He'll move on to the finals to take on Yusei Fudo!" As the crowd roared and cheered for me, I looked down at the plant Duelist.

"You alright now?" I asked her. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm-"

"None of his concern." A voice interjected. I looked to my left to see a young man, perhaps in his early to mid-twenties, with reddish-brown hair styled in a cowlick, walking up to us. I glared at him subtly, remembering him as one of my less-favored characters from the anime. "I'll take her off your hands." I simply nodded and helped Akiza to her feet, where cowlick-man helped her walk off the field and out of sight.

And with that, I decided to finally take in the roaring cheers of the crowd due to my victory, regardless of the circumstances. And I gotta say, it's pretty damn amazing, especially when I think about how far I've gotten. After a minute or so, Juno and I were taken down by a platform back to the Duelist Lounge.

_**Whew! Well, that was a cakewalk compared to last chapter.**_

_**Anyways, so now we see two more Persona-Users! But the question still remains as to what Akiza will do now. Will she join Zero and aid in his mission, or will she stay loyal to Sayer and the Arcadia Movement?**_

_**Well, unfortunately, that question must remain unanswered… for now.**_

_**And now, for the terms. I also decided to update this so that from now on, when Persona stats are listed, you less-than Persona-savvy readers will have a better idea of what they do. I may go back and do the same with previous entries.**_

**FES Dictionary:**

Eurydice: Juno's Persona, and a reflection of her personality. It has a level of resistance to Earth Skills, and is weak to Wind. Its main focus is Recovery/Support, while also specializing in Earth Skills. Currently, it knows the following Skills:

Dekunda = Removes any -nda Skills from all allies  
Media = Light healing to all allies  
Magnara = Med. Earth damage to the target.  
Patra = Removes Distress/Fear/Panic Ailments from target ally.  
Posumudi = Removes Poison from target ally.  
Diarama = Med. healing to target ally.

Otohime: Akiza's Persona, and a reflection of her personality. It has the ability to absorb Wind attacks and resist Physical Attacks. Its main strength comes in the form of Physical attacks and buffs. Cureently, it knows the following Skills:

Kill Rush = Light Phys. damage 1-3x to the target.  
Swift Strike = Light Phys. damage 1-2x to the target.  
Tarukaja = Attack boost to target ally.

Strength: One of the Major Arcana, numbered as XI (11). Personas of this Arcana tend to specialize in Physical (or shortened to Phys.) attacks.


	12. Revvin' Up!

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 11: Revvin' Up!—**_

_**Disclaimer that I haven't done in millennia: You know the drill.**_

I walked out of the Kaiba Dome a while after my Duel with Akiza. There was a thirty-minute intermission before the finals, so I had some time to kill. And I decided to kill that time by talking to the newest Persona-User. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done.

I knew she was located in this massive truck outside the stadium thanks to Himiko, but I also knew that there was a band of guys guarding it. I was currently staying out of sight, but then I saw cowlick-guy from earlier leave the truck and talk to the guards for a second. I jumped at this opportunity and walked up casually to them.

"Huh? Oh, it's you again." Cowlick said flatly. (Y'know, I should start calling him Sayer, that is his name after all)

"Hey there." I greeted. "I was wondering if I could talk with Miss Izinski again. You see, I'm a detective, investigating a case that supposedly involves her. I just need to get info from the other side of things, y'know?" Sayer seemed to contemplate this, and eventually answered.

"Fine, but make it quick. She does need her rest, after all." He said with a shrug. I nodded and walked towards the back door of the truck before turning my head.

"And I trust this conversation will be _private_?" I asked, to which Sayer nodded, though somewhat irritably. I walked inside the truck and closed the door.

"Yo, Akiza." I greeted the girl.

"Zero…?" Akiza asked from within the dimly-lit truck. Regardless of the lighting, I could see Akiza was inside of a small, glass-roofed capsule filled with a liquid unlike water. She wore a skin-tight crimson-colored one-piece…

…

NO! Focus! There's time for that later!

I saw a chair next to the capsule and sat down, which is when I also saw multiple sections of the capsule's roof that contained a hole, so that Akiza could be heard from within it, and so she could have sufficient air constantly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Your buddy Sayer let me in." I replied. "Had to tell him I was investigating a case and I needed to talk to you about it. Though it isn't far from the truth."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I do, in fact, need to talk to you, but not about some case." I answered. "I wanted to talk to you about what you saw a few minutes ago." Akiza said nothing, possibly waiting for me to continue.

"What if I told you that everyone in the world had a special power inside them?" I began. "And that only a few out of millions of people in the world could actually call on this power. That power is called 'Persona', and it's the same thing you awakened to only a few short minutes ago."

"Why are you telling me this?" Akiza wondered aloud.

"Allow me to answer your question with my own." I replied. "What if I were to tell you that something fishy was going on in this city, and that you had the ability to stop it? Would you? Or would you just stand by and watch everything end?"

"I don't get it." Akiza said. I sighed.

"My main point is; I want to know if you're willing to join me." I replied. "I want to know if you want to use your new power to help save the world I can't do this alone, and I'll need all the Persona-Users I can find."

"I… I'm not sure…" Akiza answered, understandably lacking certainty. After all, I'm asking her to basically ditch the Arcadia Movement, who've practically been like family to her.

"You don't have to answer me right now. I just gave you a lot of info to digest, after all." I said before standing up. "Tell you what; I'll stop by the Arcadia Movement building after the Fortune Cup is over, and you can give me your answer then." Akiza nodded in agreement, and I took it as my cue to leave. I exited the truck and walked past Sayer and his goons, and made my way back into the Kaiba Dome.

**{=+=}**

And so, the time for the finals of the Fortune Cup was at hand. I sat in the Duelist Lounge, going through my Deck and organizing a strategy.

"Wow, you're really getting into this." Juno noted as she watched me.

_-I don't have much choice. Yusei will be a strong opponent.-_ I replied.

"Is he really that strong?" Juno asked.

_-In a sense, yes.-_ I answered. _-Or at least, his Deck is.-_

"What do you mean?" Juno asked. "What's his Deck like?"

_-Yusei runs an interesting Deck.-_ I explained. _-It's called a Synchro Deck. And, as you'd imagine, focuses solely on using low-Level Monsters to Summon powerful Synchro Monsters quickly and efficiently. However, in the case that he's unable to Synchro Summon, Yusei can still use his Deck to accomplish surprising miracles.-_

"Like a plot device?" Juno asked puzzled.

I nodded._ -Yusei will always have at least one card in his Deck that's meant to beat any opponent he faces. And that's why he'll be so tough.-_

In the end, I decided to keep my Deck pure, without any Side Deck cards. However, I did have to add some Speed Spells, as this next match would be a Turbo Duel.

"Zero, take this." Juno said as she suddenly handed me a card. "I have a feeling that it can help you in the next Duel." I took it and read the name.

**Tetra Break**.

I read the effect and couldn't help but have a Light Yagami grin on my face.

_-This can work.-_ I said mentally before placing the card in the middle of my Deck. I stood up and walked towards the door, as did Yusei, who'd been sitting on the other side of the room. We both went to our respective garages to get our Runners. I hopped onto Reiraku Byakuya and Juno got on behind me. I revved the engine and took off down the tunnel before me once I was introduced. I shot out onto the track and began to drive around to display my ride.

"And here comes Zero! Riding on the Reiraku Byakuya for this over-the-top Turbo Duel!" MC announced as I stopped at the starting line where Yusei was already waiting.

"Heh, seems we just keep running into each other, eh Yusei?" I asked jokingly. "I was actually hoping I could duel you in this tournament. I've been curious as to what kind of challenge you can give me."

"Looks like you're about to find out." Yusei replied with a faint smile.

"Alright Duelists!" MC shouted. "Let's get ready to Turbo Duel! Activate your **Speed World** Field Spells!"

_=Duel Mode initiated! Autopilot standing by.=_ said a voice from my Runner as I pressed a button on the small console, and a card depicting the tailwind of a motorcycle appeared on screen before a ripple was sent through the air, giving everything around us a purplish hue to it. The HUD on Reiraku Byakuya changed to display a digital card field with Monster Zones, Spell/Trap Zones, a Graveyard, and a small counter in the lower left corner that currently read 'SPC: 0'. My hybrid-model Duel Disk also unfolded on my Runner before activating.

""Now remember, the first Duelist to reach the corner gets the first move! And in a Duel like this, it could mean everything!" MC reminded us excitedly.

_=READY! SET! DUEL!=_ a computerized voice spoke as a green light flashed above the track, and Yusei and I took off down the track.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**SPC: 0**_

_**Yusei LP: 4000**_

_**SPC: 0**_

Yusei and I were initially neck and neck, but the Synchro Duelist sped up and started getting distance on me. I smirked.

"Nice try Yusei, but your runner's nothing compared to mine!" I said over the rush of the wind as I revved my engine once more and got a burst of speed, easily overtaking Yusei and rounding the corner. "Heh, looks like I go first! I draw!" I drew my sixth card and added it to my hand.

I looked at what I had and frowned. _'Not the greatest start, it seems… I don't have much to work with right now. Unless… Got it!'_

"I'll start off by Summoning **Persona of The Star – Kintoki Douji** to the field in Defense Mode!" I said as I slipped the card into my Duel Disk. The monster to appear was a red and gold-colored vault-like sphere with small arms, legs, and head. A blue cape flowed behind it, and in its' tiny hands it held up a tomahawk missile over its' head.

**Persona of The Star – Kintoki Douji  
LV 3  
WATER  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 600 / DEF 600**

'_I'll have to take the chance if I want to hold out…'_ I thought.

"I activate **Kintoki's** special ability!" I announced. "Once a turn, I'm allowed to flip a coin, and I'll gain or lose Life Points depending on what I get!" A coin appeared on screen and flipped itself. It landed on tails and emitted a reddish glow. I frowned in disappointment, but didn't let it get me down. "Hmm… Tails. Looks like fate's smiling on ya' Yusei! Because now I'll be taking 1000 damage!" I felt a sting in my arm as my Life Points decreased.

_**Zero LP: 4000-3000**_

_**Yusei LP: 4000**_

"Next, I play the Speed Spell, **Overboost**!" I continued. "This increases my Speed Counters by 4 until my End Phase, at which point they drop back to 1!" I picked up speed and shot ahead of Yusei.

_**Zero SPC: 0-4**_

"Next, I activate **Speed Spell – Summon Speeder**!" I added while playing the aforementioned Spell. "This allows me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Monster from my hand by giving up 2 Speed Counters!" My speed was halved as I picked the card I would Summon.

_**Zero SPC: 4-2**_

"I'll special Summon **Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya** in Defense Mode!" I declared as the pink-clad Priestess Persona emerged from within a swirl of cherry blossoms.

**Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya  
****LV 3  
****FIRE  
****Psychic/Effect  
****ATK 700 / DEF 1200**

'_Alright, this is the best I can manage…'_ I thought with a hint of disappointment.

"I'll end my turn from there." I concluded. "And because it's my End Phase, **Overboost** reduces my Speed Counters to 1."

_**Zero SPC: 2-1**_

"My move!" Yusei said as he drew his sixth card.

_**Zero SPC: 1-2**_

_**Yusei SPC: 0-1**_

"I Summon my **Speed Warrior**!" Yusei declared as one of his signature Monsters appeared; a silver-armored warrior with skates fused to his feet.

**Speed Warrior  
LV 2  
WIND  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK 900 / DEF 400**

"On the turn Speed Warrior is Summoned, I'm allowed to double his Attack Points!" Yusei explained as a bluish-white aura flared up around the skating Monster.

_**(Speed Warrior: ATK – 900-1800)**_

'_Heh, not bad Yusei.'_ I mentally complimented.

"**Speed Warrior**, attack** Kintoki** with Sonic Edge!" Yusei ordered. The silver-armored warrior dashed forward and delivered a spinning roundhouse kick to **Kintoki**, shattering him into pixels.

_**Zero LP: 3000-1800**_

_**Yusei LP: 4000**_

"I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn." Yusei concluded as he set his facedowns, and **Speed Warrior's **Attack Points returned to normal.

_**(Speed Warrior: ATK – 1800-900)**_

"I draw!" I yelled.

_**Zero SPC: 2-3**_

_**Yusei SPC: 1-2**_

'_Damn, I'm already halfway down for the count!'_ I thought. _'I didn't think to account for __**Kintoki**__ flipping tails… Heh. I got cocky, and I paid the price. Alright, let's see what I've got to work with… Aha!'_

"I'll start off by Summoning the Tuner Monster, **Priestess Soul**!" I said as I slapped the card onto my Duel Disk. This **Soul** Monster was yellow in color, and took the overall shape of a teenage girl with long hair. In her hands the girl held a pair of fans.

**Priestess Soul  
****LV 4  
****LIGHT  
****Psychic/Tuner  
****ATK 0 / DEF 0**

"Now I'll Tune my Level 4 **Priestess Soul** and my Level 3 **Konohana Sakuya**!" I continued as **Konohana **turned into a card, while **Priestess Soul** turned into a stream of energy that simply flowed into said card.

"_The Arcana is the means by which souls are bound! The hidden power within the soul will reveal itself in a storm of burning petals! Synchro Summon! Reveal yourself, _**Ultimate Priestess Persona – Sumeo-Okami**_!"_

In a flash of yellowish light, a new Persona emerged and floated next to my Runner. It bore a resemblance to **Konohana Sakuya**, but instead of being pink, it was golden yellow in color. The golden scarf it wore was also attached tom its' wrists at the ends like Konohana, but the ends of this being's scarf also had spikes around the edges, making both ends look like suns. The ends also housed small red gems surrounding a larger red gem in the center.

The being's actual body also resembled **Amaterasu's**, being the body of a woman, with some of the… finer details… simply not present. Long golden hair also flowed from the woman's head, and she carried a katana in one hand, and the respective scabbard in the other.

**Ultimate Priestess Persona – Sumeo-Okami  
****LV 7  
****FIRE  
****Psychic/Synchro/Effect  
****ATK 2500 / DEF 2400**

'_Just the comeback I need.'_ I thought.

"**Sumeo-Okami**! Attack **Speed Warrior** with Burning Petals!" I commanded. The epithet of Amaterasu simply spun through the air once, and a pillar of fire mixed in with sakura blossoms erupted from underneath **Speed Warrior**, obliterating it in seconds.

_**Zero LP: 1800**_

_**Yusei LP: 4000-2400/SPC: 2-1**_

"Oh my! And Zero has almost evened the playing field in a single turn!" MC shouted in excitement.

"And now, I'll end my turn with a facedown! Which is also when **Sumeo-Okami's** effect activates!" I said. "During my End Phase, I can increase my Life Points by 600 times the number of Personas on my field! Since she's the only one on the field, I'll be gaining the bare minimum. Go, Mediarama!" A warm light bathed my body as my Life Points were restored.

_**Zero LP: 1800-2400**_

_**Yusei LP: 2400**_

"I draw!" Yusei said as he started his turn.

_**Zero SPC: 3-4**_

_**Yusei SPC: 1-2**_

"I Summon the Junk Synchron Tuner Monster!" Yusei declared as heplayed the card that would call forth one of his signature Tuners; a small robot covered in orange plating and a white scarf tied around its' neck.

**Junk Synchron  
LV 3  
DARK  
Warrior/Tuner  
ATK 1300 / DEF 500**

"And now I'll activate his special ability, which lets me Special Summon a Level 2 or below Monster from my Graveyard! So I'm bringing back my **Speed Warrior**!" In a matter of seconds, the silver-armored warrior had appeared and was now skating next to **Junk Synchron**.

**Speed Warrior  
LV 2  
WIND  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK 900 / DEF 400**

"Now I'll Tune Level 3 **Junk Synchron** with Level 2 **Speed Warrior**!" Yusei continued as his Monsters took to the sky and preformed the normal Synchro process; **Junk Synchron** turning into three Synchro Gates while **Speed Warrior** split into two stars.

_"Gathering stars will call upon a new force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Show yourself, _**Junk Warrior**_!"_

In a flash of light, one of Yusei's headliners made its' appearance; a mechanical warrior clad in indigo armor with a pair of wings and thrusters on his shoulders and a white scarf not unlike Junk Synchron's wrapped around his neck.

**Junk Warrior  
LV 5  
DARK  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK 2300 / DEF 1300**

'_Just as I thought…'_ I smirked along with my thought.

"Hate to break it to you Yusei, but as impressive as that **Junk Warrior** is, it still doesn't stand a chance against **Sumeo-Okami**." I said.

"That's why I have this, the Trap Card, **Synchro Strike**!" Yusei replied as he flipped up his first facedown, a card depicting **Junk Synchron **and **Speed Warrior** in the background with blue aura's around their bodies, and **Junk Warrior** in the foreground with a red aura. "With this card, I can increase the Attack Points of one Synchro Monster on my field by 500 for each Monster used to Summon it!"

'_You clever little…'_ I thought with a hint of respect for the Synchro Duelist.

"Since I used **Junk Synchron** and **Speed Warrior** to Synchro Summon **Junk Warrior**, he'll be gaining a grand total of 1000 Attack Points!" A white aura shot up around the purple-clad warrior as his power shot up.

_**(Junk Warrior – ATK: 2300-3300)**_

"**Junk Warrior**, attack **Sumeo-Okami** with Scrap Fist!" Yusei ordered. The warrior charged forward and his fist ignited with yellowish-white energy.

"I activate **Persona Skill: Salvation**!" I countered as my set card rose, depicting Messiah from the Persona series casting a spell of some sort. "When you attack me, I can activate this card to negate your attack and end the Battle Phase!" **Junk Warrior** halted and returned to Yusei's field. "And then, if my Life Points are below 5300, then I can raise them to that same amount!" everyone gasped as my Life Points rose.

_**Zero LP: 2400-3500**_

_**Yusei LP: 2400**_

"Zero!" I suddenly heard Juno shout in apparent alarm. "Zero watch out!" I was about to question the goddess when she suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder. The second she did, I was blinded a flash of light, and then when my vision was normal, I saw that there was a wall of some sort right in front of me. It looked quite solid, so of course, I panicked and instinctively veered to the side to try and avoid it.

Stupid idea.

I ended up getting thrown off the bike as it fell over and went flying towards the wall. I waited for the feeling of my body impacting the solid wall, but it never came, instead, I hit the ground pretty roughly and rolled a few feet before stopping next to my Runner, which had apparently slid on its' side. My cards were now lying around it, having fallen out of the deck holder. I tried getting up, but a sharp pain in my head and arm said otherwise. I fell back down and felt my consciousness slipping. I looked up and saw that everything looked strange one second, then looked normal the next.

"Hey! Zero!"

Zero!"

Those were the last things I heard before everything went black.

_To be continued…_

_**PLOT TWIST!**_

_**Okay, not a plot twist, just a really trollish surprise. I figured that you guys didn't get enough surprises with the duel with Akiza, so I decided to throw this in just for fun. You'll find out what happened next chapter.**_

_**: )**_


	13. Another Deduction

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 12: Deduction… Again—**_

_Previously…_

"**Junk Warrior**, attack **Sumeo-Okami** with Scrap Fist!" Yusei ordered. The warrior charged forward and his fist ignited with yellowish-white energy.

"I activate **Persona Skill: Salvation**!" I countered as my set card rose, depicting Messiah from the Persona series casting a spell of some sort. "When you attack me, I can activate this card to negate your attack and end the Battle Phase!" **Junk Warrior** halted and returned to Yusei's field. "And then, if my Life Points are below 5300, then I can raise them to that same amount!" everyone gasped as my Life Points rose.

_**Zero LP: 2400-3500**_

_**Yusei LP: 2400**_

"Zero!" I suddenly heard Juno shout in apparent alarm. "Zero watch out!" I was about to question the goddess when she suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder. The second she did, I was blinded a flash of light, and then when my vision was normal, I saw that there was a wall of some sort right in front of me. It looked quite solid, so of course, I panicked and instinctively veered to the side to try and avoid it.

Stupid idea.

I ended up getting thrown off the bike as it fell over and went flying towards the wall. I waited for the feeling of my body impacting the solid wall, but it never came, instead, I hit the ground pretty roughly and rolled a few feet before stopping next to my Runner, which had apparently slid on its' side. My cards were now lying around it, having fallen out of the deck holder. I tried getting up, but a sharp pain in my head and arm said otherwise. I fell back down and felt my consciousness slipping. I looked up and saw that everything looked strange one second, then looked normal the next.

"Hey! Zero!"

Zero!"

Those were the last things I heard before everything went black.

**{=+=}**

I slowly opened my eyes to find the worried faces of Yusei, Tanner, Leo, Luna, Yanagi, Metis, and Juno staring down at me.

"You're awake. How do you feel?" Metis asked.

"Like hell." I replied, now noticing the massive pain in my head. "Where am I?"

"The infirmary." Tanner answered. "You remember what happened right? You suddenly lost control of your Runner and crashed big time." Oh yeah, that's right.

Juno and I are going to have a LONG talk about this once the others leave.

I looked at my surroundings and was able to confirm that I was in an infirmary. I was currently laid in a small bed with a white sheet draped over my body from the neck down, and on a table nearby was my deck, Duel Disk, and helmet. I reached up to scratch my head, and found that my forehead was wrapped in bandaging.

"The doctor said that you had a slight concussion from the fall." Metis explained. The impact was that bad, huh? Yeah I'll definitely have some words for Juno after this. Alright, let's see…

"Man, it happened again." I said with an extra sigh. "I thought I'd fixed that…"

"What do you mean, sonny?" Yanagi asked.

"I know what happened." I lied. "My Runner has a problem with its' AI when the Auto-Pilot's engaged. Most of the time it works fine, but every now and then it bugs up and the Auto-Pilot switches off without warning."

"Well, that explains why you lost control in the middle of a Duel." Tanner reasoned.

I turned to Yusei. "So I'm assuming that you won by default, then?" The Synchro Duelist nodded.

"Yeah. You okay with that?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's fine." I replied. "Better you than me, I guess. I can tell you wanna Duel Jack pretty badly." Granted I also know _why_, but considering that it hasn't been that long since Yusei and I technically met, I'm not stupid enough to actually mention it.

"Well, that's good to hear." Yusei added. "Why don't you get some rest for now." I nodded and the others started filing out of the infirmary, save for Juno and Metis, who said that she wanted to stay here with me. With them out of the room, I turned towards Juno, and gave her a rather sour look, which made her flinch slightly. Good.

"So… Mind telling me what the hell happened?" I asked, making sure that Juno caught that I wasn't particularly happy.

"I… Well…" Juno tried to explain. "Right before you were about to turn that last corner, I sensed something was off, and…"

"Off? What do you mean?" I asked while dropping my sour façade out of interest. "Was it something about that wall I saw?"

"Yeah." The goddess replied. "If you hadn't stopped, then you would've gone straight into an area filled with Shadows."

What?

"My Persona has an ability that lets me detect things that are abnormal." Juno explained further. "What I sensed was almost exactly like that area where you awakened to your power." This… is actually kind of interesting. "From what I can tell, they can only be experienced by Persona-Users or others with strong spiritual power."

So normal people aren't aware of them…?

"Alright, you justified your actions." I said. "And now…" I reached up and placed a hand on my head, switched to Konohana Sakuya, and started pumping Dia after Dia into my skull. By the time I had reduced the pain in my head to a tolerable level, I was left with roughly one-fourth of my spiritual power (you know what? I'm just gonna start calling it SP).

Right. Note to self: Dia isn't very effective on organs. "Much better." I said.

I heard the MC announcing the start of Jack and Yusei's exhibition Duel on the TV on the opposite wall. I shrugged and sat up. Only a little payback from my head for that. Good. I saw both Duelists on their Runners at the starting line. When the countdown hit 0, they took off towards the first corner. Yusei managed to pull ahead at the last possible second, and got the first move. He and Jack drew their starting hands.

_**Yusei LP: **__**4000  
**__**SPC – **__**0**_

_**Jack LP: **__**4000  
**__**SPC – **__**0**_

"The first move's mine!" Yusei drew his sixth card. "I'll start off by Summoning **Shield Wing** in Defense Mode!" a green draconic creature appeared and folded its wings in front of itself for protection

**Shield Wing  
LV 2  
WIND  
Winged Beats/Effect  
ATK 0 / DEF 900**

"Next I place two cards face-down and end my turn!" Yusei concluded.

"Alright then, let's see how you like this!" Jack said and drew a card.

_**Yusei SPC – 0-**__**1**_

_**Jack SPC –**__** 0-1**_

"I Summon **Twin-Sword Marauder** in Attack Mode!" A warrior clad in blue, gold, and black battle gear and a pair of blades attached to his wrists appeared and hovered next to Jack.

**Twin-Sword Marauder  
LV 4  
DARK  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK 1600 / DEF 1000**

"You may have just lucked out on your way to the title match, but those other Duelists were just amateurs compared to me! Now allow **Twin-Sword Marauder** to give you a proper welcome to the big leagues, Yusei! **Twin-Sword Marauder**, attack his **Shield Wing**! Go! Double Marauder Mayhem!" Jack ordered. The double-bladed warrior complied as he leapt forward and attempted to slash at the green dragon.

"Did you forget that **Shield Wing **can't be destroyed in one attack?" Yusei asked.

"I haven't forgotten! Because whenever my **Marauder** attacks a Monster playing defense, you take Piercing Damage!" Yusei grit his teeth as his Life Points were reduced.

_**Yusei LP:**__** 4000-3300**_

_**Jack LP:**__** 4000**_

"And I'll end my turn with two facedown cards!" He concluded as two facedown cards appeared on the track before vanishing. "You can't defeat me, Yusei!"

"Say that after I lose! Like that'll happen!" Yusei retorted and drew.

_**Yusei SPC – 1-**__**2**_

_**Jack SPC – 1-**__**2**_

"From my hand I Summon **Junk Synchron**!" One of Yusei's signature orange Tuner Monsters leaped onto the field through a blue portal.

**Junk Synchron  
LV 3  
DARK  
Warrior/Tuner  
ATK 1300 / DEF 500**

"And now I'm gonna Tune my Level 2 **Shield Wing** with my Level 3 **Junk Synchron**!" As the Synchro Duelist's Monsters came together, they created one of Yusei's headliners.

**Junk Warrior  
LV 5  
DARK  
Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
ATK 2300 / DEF 1300**

"Now take out that **Marauder**!" Yusei ordered. **Junk Warrior** complied and charged forward with his blazing fist, driving it straight through Jack's Monster.

_**Yusei LP:**__** 3300**_

_**Jack LP:**__** 4000-3300**_

"Next, I activate **Synchro Blast**!" Yusei added as a Trap Card rose and unleashed a wave of pure power that hit Jack dead-on. "Now when my **Warrior **attacks, **Synchro Blast** can slam you with 500 points of damage!"

_**Yusei LP:**__** 3300**_

_**Jack LP:**__** 3300-2800**_

"Now you're Dueling Yusei." Jack replied as he drew his next card and began his turn. "But you won't be for long!"

_**Yusei SPC – 2-**__**3**_

_**Jack SPC – 2-**__**3**_

"I Summon the Tuner Monster, **Dark Tinker**!" Emerging from a dark portal was a small demon resembling a spider, but with six long arms that each carried some type of tool.

**Dark Tinker  
LV 2  
DARK  
Fiend/Tuner  
ATK 1000 / DEF 1300**

"Next, I activate one of my facedown cards, **Powerful Rebirth** to bring back my **Twin-Sword Marauder** from the Graveyard!" Jack added as his double-bladed warrior was revived.

**Twin-Sword Marauder  
LV 4  
DARK  
Warrior/Effect  
ATK 1600 / DEF 1000**

"And when a Monster is resurrected with **Powerful Rebirth**, they gain 100 Attack and Defense Points, and their Level increases by one!" Jack explained as his Monster grew slightly stronger. _**(TSM – LV: 4-5, ATK/DEF: 1600-1700/1000-1100)**_

"Heh, even with that, he's one Level short of being able to Summon Red Dragon Archfiend." I mumbled.

"What makes you think he's going to Summon that?" Juno asked.

"Call it… a hunch." I replied.

"And now, I'm activating the Speed Spell version of Double Summon!" Jack continued as he played a card that surprised even me. "And with it I'm Summoning my Chaos Necromancer!" The Monster Jack Summoned was a tall figure with long black hair and clad in blue and gold armor.

… Okay then. I didn't see that coming.

**Chaos Necromancer  
LV 1  
DARK  
Fiend/Effect  
ATK 0 / DEF 0**

"Yusei! I'm the best Turbo Duelist this city has ever seen! And those moves are examples of why I'm going to remain the best!" Jack yelled. "I'm Tuning my Level 1 **Chaos Necromancer** and Level 5 **Twin-Sword Marauder **with my Level 2 **Dark Tinker**!" Jack's Monsters then took to the sky and performed a Synchro Summon that I knew would give Yusei some trouble.

'_The pulse of the king now forms a line here! Witness the power of the rumbling heavens! Synchro Summon! My soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!'_

Upon the end of Jack's chant, a fearsome-looking black and red dragon with flew onto the field and roared with authority.

**Red Dragon Archfiend  
LV 8  
DARK  
Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
ATK 3000 / DEF 2000**

After a second or two, I started to feel tired from all the healing I did not too long ago, so I decided to get some rest. As I laid down, I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep…

…

"Zero!"

…

"Zero!"

Muh? What?

"Hey! Zero!"

I opened my eyes to the sound of Akiza's voice. Looking around, I saw that I wasn't in bed anymore. In fact, I was now floating in what appeared to be a black sky filled with stars. Below me was a pathway of light on which Yusei and Jack were riding their Runners on, and to my left were Akiza and Luna.

'_Wait, why am I seeing all this? I'm not a Signer…'_ I thought. _'Is it because of my Wild Card? That's the only other explanation…'_

As the three of us floated along above the track, I saw a single star that stood out from the rest. Not only was it bigger, but it emitted a deep crimson light.

"That's…" I began.

"Zero? Do you know what's going on?" Luna asked, and I could tell she was at least a bit frightened.

"Sort of." I replied. As I looked down, I saw that we were approaching a massive temple with a staircase that led all the way to its' peak. At the base of this temple were people kneeling down as if in worship. I also noticed a small group of people standing atop the temple with their hands raised skyward. Closer inspection revealed that there were glowing crimson marks on their arms, identical to the ones that Akiza, Luna, Yusei, and Jack possessed.

Riding further along, we came up on a place I recognized; the Satellite. Suddenly, purple flames erupted from the ground amidst the ruined buildings on the island. They quickly spread, destroying anything in their path.

"Hey look!" Akiza exclaimed. "Is that a giant spider in the Satellite?" She was right, the purple flames had eventually formed the shape of a large spider. Though I wasn't focused on that. What I was focused on was the moon. Even though there were black clouds in the sky, the moon seemed to break through them. I could barely see chunks of it flying away from the main mass, revealing something truly frightening underneath; a massive red eye-like object that 'stared' down at New Domino and the Satellite.

"No way…" I gasped. But before I could comprehend it, the scene vanished. "Was that… what I think it was…?"

NO! Focus! Now's not the time to think about that!

Looking back at the two Duelists, I couldn't hear them very clearly, though I saw Jack place two facedowns and Yusei draw a card. Both had only one Monster on their fields; **Red Dragon Archfiend** and **Stardust Dragon** respectively. From what I remember, by this point in the Duel, **Stardust Dragon** should have 3300 Attack Points, and **Red Dragon Archfiend **should have 3800.

_**Yusei SPC – 5-6**_

_**Jack SPC – 5-6**_

Yusei played a Speed Spell that summoned forth a silver whirlwind to surround **Stardust**. I recognized this as **Silver Contrails**, which increases the Attack Points of a Wind-Attribute Monster by 1000 until the end of the Battle Phase. _**(Stardust Dragon – ATK: 3300-4300)**_

Stardust then charged up a mass of silver energy in its' mouth, signaling that it was going to attack. It hurled the blast at Jack's Dragon, but it wasn't destroyed, as I expected (due to the (anime) effect of **Hyper Synchron**, which was used to Summon out both dragons earlier). Even so, Jack took the damage.

_**Yusei LP: 900**_

_**Jack LP: 2300-1800**_

Next, Yusei activated **Synchro Blast's** effect again, dealing out even more damage to Jack.

_**Yusei LP: 900**_

_**Jack LP: 1800-1300**_

After that, the Synchro Duelist placed three face-down cards and concluded his turn. Jack drew his next card and prepared to take action.

_**Yusei SPC – 6-7**_

_**Jack SPC – 6-7**_

From what I saw, Jack ordered **Red Dragon Archfiend** to attack **Stardust**. The black and red dragon threw a punch at the white dragon, its' fist covered in bright flames. Due to the effect of **Silver Contrails **wearing off, **Red Dragon Archfiend** had the upper hand. And **Hyper Synchron's** effect also prevented the destruction of Yusei's Monster. I could see Yusei flinch from some sort of pain after the attack hit.

_**Yusei LP: 900-400**_

_**Jack LP: 1300**_

"Yusei!" Luna exclaimed.

"He's actually hurt! It's just like when I Duel others!" Akiza said in realization. Yusei shrugged it off, and played a Trap Card I remember as being **Cross-Line Counter**. So… Since Yusei took 500 damage on Jack's turn, **Stardust** gets an extra 1000 Attack Points, and the chance to attack **Red Dragon Archfiend**. The white dragon unleashed another blast of silver energy at Jack's Monster, inflicting even more damage.

_**Yusei LP: 400**_

_**Jack LP: 1300-800**_

The way I see it, this could go either way. But then, Jack played a Speed Spell combo that could easily give him the advantage; **Overboost** coupled with **The End of Storm**. Upon the latter card's activation, a hurricane-force wind began to pick up. However, Yusei used the ability of **Stardust **to negate **The End of Storm**.

"Alright! Yusei might be able to win this!" Luna said happily. I shook my head.

"I doubt it. That left Yusei wide open. And plus, look there." I cut in, pointing to the Trap Card Jack had just played. "See that card? It's called **Sneak Exploder**. On Yusei's next Standby Phase, he'll get hit for 500 points of damage for each Monster on Jack's field." Luna gasped in realization.

"Oh no! That means that Yusei will take damage next round and lose!" she said.

"Bingo." I replied. "It'll take a miracle for Yusei to slip past this one." As I said that, **Stardust** flew onto the field via a blue portal.

**Stardust Dragon  
LV 8  
WIND  
Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
ATK 2500 / DEF 2000**

Once that had happened, Yusei activated a Trap Card I recognized as **Meteor Stream**. Oh, Jack's done. Since Yusei just re-Summoned **Stardust**, that Trap will slam Jack for 1000 damage. But Jack countered by activating Crimson Fire, which will, unfortunately, reflect the damage from **Meteor Stream** back at Yusei with double the power.

But Yusei also countered with the **Shining Silver Force** Trap Card, a Trap that's saved me on more than one occasion. The Trap not only nullifies the damage Yusei would've taken, but it also gets rid of Jack's other Spell and Trap Cards, including **Sneak Exploder**. And with that, Jack's **Overboost** wore off, dropping his speed considerably and letting Yusei zoom ahead.

_**Yusei SPC – 7-8**_

_**Jack SPC –7-8**_

Yusei drew his next card and immediately played it. I knew the very second I saw the card that Jack was definitely through. The card he'd played was a Speed Spell called **Final Attack**, which can double a Monster's Attack Points so long as you have eight Speed Counters. So if I'm keeping track right, then this Duel is over. **Stardust Dragon** fired a MASSIVE blast of silver energy at **Red Dragon Archfiend** and easily overpowered it, while obliterating Jack's Life Points in the process.

_**Yusei LP: 400**_

_**Jack LP: 800-0**_

In a flash of light, I found myself staring at the ceiling of the infirmary once again. I sat up and started tuning in to what was happening on the TV.

"Er… Ladies and gentlemen, we seem to be having some technical difficulties at the moment! We appreciate your patience as we try to sort this matter out!" The MC said with a hint of confusion and panic in his voice.

"What… was that…?" I asked myself as everything started coming back to me.

"Huh? What happened Zero?" Juno asked me as she turned from the television.

"Nothing… I'll tell you later." I replied. Oh, we're _so _talking about this later I don't like what I saw and I wanna know why I saw it. Plus, I have a feeling that you're hiding something from me. Suddenly, the MC spoke up again.

"It's… OVER!" he exclaimed. "We have our new champion! May I present to you New Domino City's new hero… Yusei Fudo!" The crowd began to cheer for the new champion. I found this kind of funny, since they were tearing him apart at the start of the tournament for being a Satellite. I got out of the bed and stood on my feet, feeling surprisingly refreshed from my little power nap. I grabbed my things from the table at my bedside and I, along with Juno and Metis, walked out towards the central part of the Kaiba Dome to meet up with Yusei.

_**And the Fortune Cup arc is finished!**_

_**So yeah, in case you're wondering why the last chapter ended the way it did, then here you go. I basically wanted to find a really creative way to introduce a plot point we'll be getting into fairly soon, and lo and behold, the ending to last chapter! I also wanted to do something different compared to the norm of others who do 5D's rehashes. Same applies to how I handled the Duel between Yusei and Jack in this chapter, I wanted to do something a bit different.**_

_**And NO Zero will not abuse healing abilities, nor will he abuse other Persona Skills outside of battle. Only for those rare occasions will he do something like that. Though that's also why I added the whole 'Dia does not work well on organs' bit, to make it (the fact that Zero can heal an injury whenever he wants) seem less OP. That… and I recently finished reading SamJaz's Persona 3: Fairly English Story. And for those of you who have read it, expect some of SamJaz's Persona logic to appear in this story every now and then.**_

_**Anyways, I guess that about does it, so I'll see you guys when the Dark Signers arc starts up!**_

_**: )**_


	14. Another Unavoidable Battle

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 13: Another Unavoidable Battle—**_

Juno, Metis, and I walked out onto the track, where Yusei was watching Jack get placed on a stretcher and carried off. All the while, people were cheering for Yusei. But t the same time, I could make out a few taunts amidst the excitement.

"Hey Satellite, how'd you do it?" One spectator asked.

"We know you cheated, pal!" Another jeered.

"You think you're one of us now? Then think again!" A third yelled.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, loser!" A fourth shouted.

"Congrats Yusei!" I spoke up. Yusei turned towards me and clearly looked surprised to see me walking around.

Zero." He acknowledged. "How are you feeling? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Oh please, a little headache isn't gonna be enough to keep me down." I exaggerated.

"Yusei!" we all turned to see Leo, Luna, Tanner, Dexter, and Yanagi running in our direction.

"Hey, guys. Everyone okay?" Yusei asked.

"We're fine, but you're about to face a brand new enemy..." Yanagi cried pointing to a barricade, behind which a crowd of overly-enthusiastic reporters tried to swarm the track. "The media!" the barricade was soon sent crashing down as the paparazzi surged forward like a tidal wave. Several security grunts rushed forward to block them.

Wow, the media is feisty! They actually managed to break through the security grunts and were now rushing towards Yusei. Well, better get to-why are some of them trying to bum-rush me?

WHOA! Personal space people! Ever heard of it?

"Mr. Zero! What happened during your Duel with the Black Rose?" one reporter asked.

"My sources say that you went to speak with Director Goodwin. Is this true?" asked another. How the hell did they find that out? Okay, I have a very simple solution to this. Wait for it… Wait for it...

… And Sukukaja!

I cast the speed-augmenting spell and got the hell out of dodge. The others seemed to have the same idea and managed to drag Yusei out of the hungry grasp of the reporters, running for their lives behind me. Tanner spoke up and said that he knew of a place underground that we could use to escape. I fell behind and let the former pro lead the way. After a few minutes, we ducked into an old underground tunnel.

"Oh man, that was too close for comfort." Leo groaned.

"You said it." Luna agreed.

"Well, we can all relax now." Yusei said.

"Anyways, where are we?" Dexter asked.

"This is an abandoned service tunnel." Tanner answered. "A guy like me knows these things. That… and Blister told me."

"I have no idea what happened to you in that light, but I'm just thrilled that you won the tournament!" Yanagi said.

"I knew you could do it, Yusei! You're the best Duelist I've ever seen! You're like, my hero!" Leo cheered. Dexter nodded in agreement.

"Forget the tournament. Remember, the whole thing was just a setup on Goodwin's part." Tanner reminded us. "And let's not forget that the only reason Yusei agreed to Duel was because Goodwin captured his friends... Until we figure out what the whole story is, we should lay low at Blister's hideout. Leo, Luna, you should stay over with us too."

"Yeah, nobody would think of looking for us in the Diamond District." I agreed. "Especially since they don't know where Blister's hideout is."

"Yusei? I don't know how, but I was able to see inside that weird light." Luna spoke up with a hint of fright in her voice. "Zero, Akiza and I saw you and Jack Dueling, and... I saw the Satellite being destroyed!"

"Yeah. Was that… _really _the future?" I wondered aloud, though I knew the answer to that.

'_And if that really was what I think I saw… then there's more than just the Satellite and New Domino at stake…'_

"I have no idea. But if that was some kind of vision of the future, then we have to stop it from happening." Yusei replied. I glanced at Luna and sqaw that she understandably looked worried; she gazed at her right arm and placed a hand over her mark.

"What _is_ a Signer?"

"Allow me, Luna! I can tell you everything there is to know!" Yanagi answered, now sounding like a teacher eager to begin a lesson. "But before that, I'll hafta' give you some backstory, by thrilling you with tales of my numerous archaeological adventures around the world!"

"Heh… this could take a while." I chuckled.

**{=+=}**

After taking Dexter home, we all headed towards Blister's hideout. Yanagi was humming a tune as he drew on a piece of paper while we watched.

"Now, keep in mind I'm not an artist. I only saw it once a few years back, but… the Dragon's Seal looks something like this!" after finishing, he held up the picture, showing a red seal in the shape of a dragon, but in the style of an ouroboros, or a snake eating its' own tail.

He was right. He's not an artist. It was decipherable, just not overly detailed.

Yusei seemed to recognize the mark, especially the end opposite the head. "The Tail!"

"What is it?" Leo asked.

"Look." Yusei said as he showed them his sign, which look like the tail from the drawing.

"That looks just like it! Hey Luna, what about yours!" Luna pulled up her sleeve and revealed the claw burned into her skin, "Oh..."

"According to legend, the Crimson Dragon's head, wings, hands, legs, and tail were split into five parts, and then sealed away as marks on the original Signers." Yanagi lectured. "The Marks were then passed down through the generations."

"But right now we only know about four Signers." Tanner pointed out. "There's Yusei, Jack, Akiza, and Luna. So how was the Crimson Dragon summoned if only those four were together? And more importantly, we haven't seen the Signer who has the Head Mark."

"What about that thing on Zero's hand?" Leo asked, bringing up the first encounter we'd had with Akiza.

"I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to keep this hidden for much longer, so everyone take a seat." I said with a sigh. Everyone sat where they could, and I remained standing. I held up my hand and willed the Mark of The Fool to appear. Its' blue glow illuminated my hand.

"Yeah! That thing!" Leo said as he saw the glowing zero.

"What exactly _is_ that, sonny?" Yanagi asked.

"This is the Mark of The Fool." I answered. "It shows that I'm a Persona-User."

"Mark of The Fool? Persona?" Luna asked.

"To put it shortly, I can summon an entity called a Persona, or a manifestation of my personality." I explained.

"Wait. Aren't the Monsters in your Deck called Personas?" Tanner asked. I nodded.

"Those same Monsters are creatures I can summon at will." I replied. "And as such, I'm aware of a whole other aspect of the world that people like you aren't aware of."

"Never thought something like that was possible…" Tanner mused.

"It's like I said before, my power is vastly different from that which the Signers possess; in both nature and overall strength. So if you were thinking that I was a Signer as well, then you're wrong." Suddenly, Luna's knees buckled and she collapsed. I managed to catch her just in time. Everyone rushed over as well.

"Luna, what's wrong?" Leo asked.

"It's nothing." she answered weakly. "I'm just a little tired, that's all…"

"I don't blame ya." Tanner understood. "It's been a crazy couple of days for all of us, so let's try to get some rest."

**{=+=}**

Akiza stared up at the night sky from the balcony of her room at the Arcadia Movement building. She hadn't been able to sleep for some time. The words of Zero were on her mind, and it kept her from sleeping while making a decision.

"What should I do…?" Akiza said to herself.

"_What if I were to tell you that something fishy was going on in this city, and that you had the ability to stop it? Would you? Or would you just stand by and watch everything end?"_

"_I want to know if you want to use your new power to help save the world. I can't do this alone, and I'll need all the Persona-Users I can find."_

"Ngh! I'm so confused!" Akiza said to herself.

**{=+=}**

I stood by the window that overlooked the city in Blister's hideout. I wasn't tired because of that little powernap from earlier.

"Can't sleep?" I heard someone ask. I turned to see Yusei approaching me.

"Nah. You?" I replied. The Synchro Duelist shook his head. Suddenly, I saw Yusei's mark glowing from underneath the glove on his hand. I then cringed as a sharp pain shot through my hand. I looked down to see that the Mark of The Fool was glowing as well. "Huh? Why is it reacting like this? I'm not a Signer."

"Zero, look!" Yusei said, gesturing out the window. I looked and saw a pair of figures standing outside. Both were garbed in black robes, but one had a glowing purple mark on his arm shaped like a spider, while the other had no such mark, but he had a glowing 'XII' (twelve) on his right hand. Though it didn't emit a blue glow like mine, this one was a deep crimson.

"Is he a Persona-User too…?" I whispered. Yusei and I shared a look, and we took off towards the exit to give chase to the two cloaks, grabbing our Duel Disks and Decks in the process. Once we got outside, we saw the two in question running away. We gave chase, but once we were about to catch up with them, they split up; one going towards a parking garage, and the other staying on his current path.

"I'll go left, and you keep tailing the other guy!" Yusei said. I nodded and we split up to pursue our targets. My guy suddenly ran into an alley, and I kept tailing him. Problem is, once I got into the alley, I didn't see where he was. I quickly summoned Himiko and scanned the area. Turns out that the cloak had scaled the wall at the end of the alley. I managed to do the same and found him running out of another alley. I switched to Percival and cast Sukukaja on myself to boost my speed. I quickly caught up to the cloak and tackled him.

"Alright spill it!" I said as I got off the guy. "Who are you? Are you a Persona-User too?"

"Hmhm… yes." the cloaked man replied as he slowly got up and showed the glowing number mark. "Though I prefer to keep my identity… a secret." Hmm… I can clearly see his Arcana now, and it's The Hanged Man… wait, no. It's… The Traitor? Isn't that a substitute for Hanged Man?. Suddenly, before I could question him further, a ring of purple flames had surrounded us.

Just. Peachy.

Now we're both trapped here! And the only way either of us is getting out is by winning a Duel!" the cloak explained as he activated the Duel Disk he carried.

"I see that I have no choice in the matter, so I'll accept your challenge!" I said as I inserted my Deck into the Duel Disk, causing it to activate.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**? LP: 4000**_

"I'll go first! I draw!" said the cloaked man. "Since I control no Monsters, I'm allowed to Special Summon **Steelswarm Cell** from my hand." His first Monster was a small black beetle with a strange insignia on its' back. "Next, from my hand, I Summon _**Steelswarm Caller**_ in Attack Mode!" As he played his card, a black humanoid-moth creature appeared on the field.

**Steelswarm Cell  
LV 1  
DARK  
Fiend/Effect  
ATK 0 /DEF 0**

**Steelswarm Caller  
LV 4  
DARK  
Fiend/Effect  
ATK 1700 / DEF 0**

I cringed at the archetype.** Steelswarms** are tricky to use, but they're equally as tough to deal with. These things are utter powerhouses when conditions on the field are optimal for them.

"Next, I shall play the Spell Card, **Double Summon**. And with it, I'll Release my **Steelswarm Cell** to Advance Summon **Steelswarm Mantis**!" The small black beetle began to glow as it started morphing and growing. Eventually, it had grown into a black demonic-looking humanoid mantis.

**Steelswarm Mantis  
LV 5  
DARK  
Fiend/Effect  
ATK 2200 / DEF 0**

"And now the effect of my **Mantis** activates." Cloaky continued. "When Advance Summoned using a **Steelswarm** Monster, I'm allowed to pay 1000 Life Points to revive one **Steelswarm** Monster from my Graveyard." Dammit. "Seeing as **Steelswarm Cell** is currently the only Monster in my Graveyard, I'll be Summoning it." Within seconds, the black beetle had returned to the field.

**Steelswarm Cell  
LV 1  
DARK  
Fiend/Effect  
ATK 0 /DEF 0**

And then, the cloaked man took the effect damage.

_**Zero LP: 4000**_

_**? LP: 4000-3000**_

"And now I'll set two cards face-down. Your move." The cloaked man said.

"Thank you very much!" I said as I drew my next card. "Since you have Monsters on your field and I don't, I'm allowed to Special Summon **Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya** to the field in Defense Mode!" As I played my card, the pink Priestess Persona appeared.

**Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya  
LV 3  
FIRE  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 700 / DEF 1200**

"And now, I'll Summon Persona of Fortune – Sukuna Hikona!" I continued as I summoned a small humanoid creature that was presumably female. It was garbed in a white collared shirt coupled with a gold tie, blue jacket adorned with gold buttons and shorts, white stockings, and brown loafers. Its' head was blue and resembled that of an insect, and on its' back was a blue and white cape that looked somewhat like wings. In its' hand, it carried what I can only call a light saber.

**Persona of Fortune – Sukuna Hikona  
LV 1  
WIND  
Psychic  
ATK 100 / DEF 100**

"Next, I'm activating a Spell Card known as **Power of The Heart**!" I added as I played one of my signature Spells. "With this, I can Release a** Persona** on my field to Special Summon an **Advanced Persona** from my hand or Deck, so long as the name of the Monster I released is listed in the effect of the new Monster! So I'll Release **Sukuna Hikona** in order to transform it into **Advanced Fortune Persona – Yamato-Takeru**!" As the Spell's effects kicked in, **Sukuna** began to glow before changing shape slightly. In a flash of light, the new Monster was revealed.

Like all my other **Advanced Personas**, it bore resemblance to its predecessor, which was, in this case, **Sukuna Hikona**. It wore a white military-style coat, blue pants, and black boots coupled with black gloves. It wore a white helmet in the shape of a mosquito's head, with most of the top being replaced by a black visor. Attached to its' hands was a cloth-like garment similar to that of Konohana's, but it was colored white and black. In its' right hand it held a katana, and on its' waist was a scabbard attached to a white belt.

**Advanced Fortune Persona – Yamato-Takeru  
LV 4  
WIND  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 1500 / DEF 1500**

"I'll end my turn from there with a facedown." I concluded.

"I draw!" said the cloaked man. He began to chuckle, which told me that I shouldn't like what he drew.

"So, what did you pull?" I asked challengingly.

"You're about to see for yourself." He replied. "To start, I'm activating a second Double Summon in order to call out my **Mystic Tomato**!" The Monster he Summoned was just a tomato with an evil face on it. "I'll now Release my **Steelswarm Mantis**, **Steelswarm Caller**, and **Mystic Tomato** in order to Advance Summon the harbinger of your defeat! I Advance Summon **Dark Tuner – Doom Herald**!" the three aforementioned Monsters turned into rainbow-colored portals that came together to form a single portal. The portal gave rise to an entity that would seem utterly harmless to others, but I know the true nature of this entity.

It was nothing more than a teenage boy, possibly around the age of seventeen or eighteen. He had short black hair and blue eyes. His attire consisted of a white collared shirt, black pants, black dress shoes, and black suspenders. Tied around his neck was a yellow scarf.

**Dark Tuner – Doom Herald  
LV 9  
DARK  
Fiend/Dark Tuner  
ATK 0 / DEF 0**

"The Appraiser…" I growled. Suddenly, the cloaked man began chuckling again.

"And now, witness the power of the darkness that lies in people's hearts!" he yelled. "I'm going to Dark Tune my Level 9 **Doom Herald** with my Level 1 **Steelswarm Cell**!" **Doom Herald** turned to **Steelswarm Cell **and split apart into nine stars that forced themselves inside of the black beetle. It screeched in pain before turning into an orange outline of itself, revealing a total of ten stars within it. However, two of them collided with each other and vanished in the blink of an eye. Then, the remaining stars turned pitch black, and flew out of the now nonexistent **Steelswarm Cell**. The black stars then began to orbit each other, spinning faster and faster by the second.

'_When the shadows are devoured by even darker shadows… the curtain pulls back and reveals… a world without light! Come forth, _**Nyx, Goddess of The Night**_!'_

The Monster that was created from the Dark Synchro Summon was all too familiar to me.

It was massive in size, easily towering over both of us, and its' gender was indeterminate. It wore a black dress-like garment made of black feathers underneath a huge armor plate that guarded what I assumed was the entity's waist, and acted as a second layer to the bottom half of the dress. Metal bracers covered the entity's forearms, and in its' hands it gripped a massive sword. It's face was pale white, and had a fixed expression that was just plain creepy. It also had short unruly black hair, and a black crown-like object was attached to its head. A set of four jet-black wings seemed to be detached from its body, but still remained relatively close to it.

Much like with this guy's Dark Tuner, I knew the true nature of this entity.

**Nyx, Goddess of The Night  
LV -8  
DARK  
Fiend/Dark Synchro/Effect  
ATK 2800 / DEF 3000**

"And now **Nyx's** effect activates!" the cloaked man continued. "When Summoned, it can destroy 1 Monster you control and inflict half of that Monster's original Attack Points to you as damage!" Oh crap. "And I choose to destroy **Yamato-Takeru**! Go, Megidolaon!" Nyx lifted its sword up and slashed downwards, sending a wave of violet light at my Monster and obliterating it.

_**Zero LP: 4000-3250**_

_**? LP: 3000**_

"Now** Nyx**, attack **Konohana Sakuya**!" cloaky ordered. "Go, Night Queen!" N**yx's** sword began to glow, and she/he thrust it into the ground. Upon doing so, multiple columns of red energy erupted from the ground. One of them had come up directly underneath my Monster, obliterating it in the process.

"Dammit…" I growled.

"And when **Nyx** destroys a Monster in Battle, she can inflict damage to you equal to half of that Monster's original Defense Points!" Great. Another one of the columns had erupted underneath me and sent me flying. I landed on the ground again with a thud and grunted in pain.

_**Zero LP: 3250-2650**_

_**? LP: 3000**_

God that hurts!

"Impressed? This barrier isn't just for decoration, it makes all damage we take real." The cloaked man said.

"Quit blabbering so I can beat you." I said flatly.

"Hmhm… Very well. I'll end my turn from there." He complied. I drew my next card and looked at what I had.

'_Damn, not much to work off of. But… If I play this carefully, I might be able to pull off something. I have one chance, I just hope I can last long enough to take advantage of it.'_ I thought.

"I Summon **Persona of The Fool - Orpheus** in Defense Mode!" I announced as I Summoned the white-haired marionette.

**Persona of The Fool – Orpheus  
****LV 3  
****FIRE  
****Psychic/Effect  
****ATK 1300 / DEF 0**

"And next, I'll activate my Trap Card! **Persona Skill: Recarm**!" I added as my set card rose. "With this, I'm allowed to revive one **Persona** or** Soul** Monster from my Graveyard since I successfully Summoned a Persona this turn! So I'll Summon **Konohana Sakuya** back to the field!" The pink Priestess reappeared as the card gave off a dim glow.

**Persona of The Priestess – Konohana Sakuya  
LV 3  
FIRE  
Psychic/Effect  
ATK 700 / DEF 1200**

I looked at the last card in my hand and decided to risk it. "I'll set one card facedown and end my turn.

"Then it's my turn!" the cloaked man said as he drew his next card. Come on… attack who I think you're going to attack… "**Nyx**, destroy **Konohana Sakuya** once more! Night Queen!" YES! **Nyx **attacked **Konohana** once more, and the Priestess was slain by the godly attack. Sorry about that **Konohana**, but your sacrifice wasn't in vain. "And you know what happens next, right? When **Nyx** destroys a Monster in Battle, you take damage equal to half of that Monster's original Defense Points!" A surge of red energy was about to toss me into the air when…

"I activate my Trap! **Persona Invocation**!" I countered as my set card rose. "I can activate this card whenever your Monster activates an effect that would damage me! Now with this card I can negate that effect and destroy the card that activated it!" My Trap began to glow with holy light that washed over **Nyx**.

"I don't think so!" Cloak countered. "**Nyx** can't be destroyed by card effects!"

"It doesn't make a difference." I stated. "Because now the second effect of my Trap Card activates. After the effect is negated, I can Special Summon a certain Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck." Said card popped out of the Extra Deck slot with a faint blue glow surrounding it. I took the card and slapped it onto my Duel Disk. "I can now Special Summon **Persona of The Fool – Percival**!" The Trap card gave off an even brighter light that gave rise to my other self.

**Persona of The Fool – Percival  
****LV 8  
****WIND  
****Psychic/Synchro/Effect  
****ATK 3000 / DEF 2000**

"Well… This just got a lot more interesting…" Cloak said. "I'll end my turn with one facedown…" I drew my card, and I heard my opponent chuckle. "What's wrong? Didn't get the card you wanted? Hmhm… Tell you what; since you're going to lose anyways, I'll give you a handicap. Go ahead and draw four more cards to get a full hand. In the end it won't make a difference to me."

This bastard is toying with me, I can tell. I grit my teeth at his words and drew four more cards. I fanne them out and looked at them closely.

Hmm… Bingo! I may not be able to cripple him, but at least I can chip him down.

"I'll start off by activating** Percival's** special ability. During each of my Standby Phases, he gets two Soul Counters. And he gains 100 Attack and Defense Points for each one he has." A pair of symbols formed on Percival's shoulders and gave off a bluish light. _**(PoTF – Percival – SC: 0-2, ATK/DEF: 3000-3200/2000-2200)**_

"Next, I'll use this Spell Card called **Persona Skill: Divine Wind** to slam you for 800 points of damage since I control **Percival**, who's a Wind-Attribute Monster!" A green whirlwind kicked up and tossed my opponent around like a rag doll against the far wall of the barrier.

_**Zero LP: 2650**_

_**? LP: 3000-2200**_

"And now I'll have **Percival** attack **Nyx** with Garula!" I continued. The draconic knight flew skyward and unleashed a gust of green wind with a strong flap of his wings. However, as the wind surrounded the Dark Synchro, a shimmering barrier materialized around it. Suddenly, the green windstorm ceased, but in an instant I was hit with a different gust of wind. I flew back into the barrier behind me and fell to the ground.

Oh don't tell me.

_**Zero LP: 2650-2250**_

_**? LP: 2200**_

"**Nyx's** special ability activates." My opponent explained. "Not only is it futile to try and destroy **Nyx **through Battle, but once during the Battle Phase, I can negate one instance of Battle Damage I would take and inflict it onto you instead." So it's the equivalent to the real Nyx's Moonless Gown ability…

"Damn…" I growled. "Alright, I'll activate **Orpheus'** special ability to let me add either **Cadenza** or **Persona Skill: Meltdown** to my hand." My Deck auto-shuffled my desired card to the top, as if knowing which one I would pick. "I'll add **Cadenza** to my hand with this effect." I took the card and added it to my hand. "And with that, I'll place a facedown to end my turn."

"Very well. It's my turn then!" My opponent said as he drew. "**Nyx**, bring an end to **Orpheus**! Go, Night Queen!"

"Did you think I had no reason for using **Orpheus'** ability last turn?" I questioned. "I activate **Cadenza** from my hand!" As I played the Spell Card, a greenish aura shot up around **Orpheus**, giving him enough speed to dodge all of the energy columns summoned by **Nyx** effortlessly. "With this card, I can negate one attack and gain 1000 Life Points!" Cloak growled in annoyance as my Life Points were restored.

_**Zero LP: 2250-3250**_

_**? LP: 2200**_

"Very well then…" the cloaked man said irritably. "I'll end my turn from there." I placed my hand on the top card of my Deck and concentrated.

'_Man, it's one big cycle right now… If I can pull the right card, I might be able to win this…'_ I thought as I drew my next card. I turned it over and looked at it, a faint smile forming on my lips.

"Looks like I win." I said succinctly. "During my Standby Phase, **Percival** gains two more Soul Counters." A second pair of symbols appeared on his forearms. _**(PoTF – Percival – SC: 2-4, ATK/DEF: 3200-3400/2200-2400)**_

"And now I pay 500 Life Points in order to Special Summon the Tuner Monster, **Judgement Soul**!" The card I played summoned forth a Monster not unlike my other **Soul** Monsters. This one was shaped like a young man with his hands in his pockets that glowed pure silver.

_**Zero LP: 3250-2750**_

_**? LP: 2200**_

**Judgment Soul  
LV 5  
LIGHT  
Psychic/Tuner  
ATK 0 / DEF 0**

"What do you expect to do with that thing? It has no Attack and Defense Points." The cloaked man asked with a laugh.

"That's not what matters." I replied. "I have the instruments of your defeat right here. Allow me to show you what I mean! I Tune my Level 5 **Judgement Soul** with my Level 3 **Persona of the Fool – Orpheus**!" Orpheus transformed into the card for the Fool Arcana, and the energy that comprised Judgement Soul flowed into it. However, the infusion of said power caused the tarot card to emit a brilliant silver-colored light. When the light dimmed down, it was revealed that the card had changed, now having the Roman numbering XX (twenty) at the bottom of the blue frame. I smirked.

"_The Arcana is the means by which souls are bound! The salvation of the soul will bring new hope! Synchro Summon! Bring down judgment, _**Ultimate Judgment Persona – Messiah**_!"_

In a flash of light, a new figure stood alongside Percival. It had one defining color; white. It looked much like Orpheus (minus the lyre) with his back against a white upside-down cross, his right hand placed over his heart. A pair of arms that doubled as wings were wrapped around the figure's waist. In his left hand, the figure gripped onto a chain that three black coffins attached to it.

**Ultimate Judgment Persona – Messiah  
LV 8  
LIGHT  
Psychic/Synchro/Effect  
ATK 3000 / DEF 2600**

"Now **Percival**, attack **Nyx** with Garula!" I ordered.

"Fool! Did you forget that once a turn the damage I would receive is inflicted to you?!" the cloaked man asked with a laugh.

"Sorry pal, not gonna happen!" I retorted. "I activate** Messiah's** special ability! Absorb Pierce!" Messiah began to glow a faint white.

"What?"

"When one of your Monsters would damage me during Battle, **Messiah** can negate that damage, or if it was the effect of one of your cards, then that effect gets negated for the rest of this turn!"

"What?!"

"Yep, and the best part is, all it takes is for me to discard a card in my hand!" I added as I did just that. "And now, **Nyx** doesn't have any of its' effects to keep it around!"

"NO!"

**Percival** summoned forth a large green windstorm that literally tore through the Dark Synchro, shattering it into pixels.

_**Zero LP: 2750**_

_**? LP: 2200-1600**_

"And now I'll activate **Messiah's** other ability; which lets me add either **Persona Skill: Salvation** or **Magic Skill Up** from my Deck to my hand! I'll choose to add the latter." A card was auto-shuffled to the top of my Deck, which I took and plucked a second card from my hand to go with it.

'_Heh, he's done.'_

"And for my final move, I'll activate these two cards!" I held up what would be my final two plays. "First, I'll activate the card I just added to my hand; **Magic Skill Up**! This'll double effect damage that I deal out. And with that done, I'll activate a second Spell Card called **Persona Skill: Narukami**! So if I have a Light or Earth-Attribute Monster on my field, I can deal 800 points of damage to my opponent! Messiah is a Light-Attribute Monster, so he fits the bill. And with **Magic Skill Up** doubling effect damage, it totals to a whopping 1600 points of damage! Just enough to take you out!" A multitude of lightning bolts rained down on my opponent, the power of each one making a small crater in the ground. The cloaked man yelled in pain as his Life Points depleted.

_**Zero LP: 2750**_

_**? LP: 1600-0**_

I strode over to my opponent and lifted him up by his cloak.

"I want answers. Who are you and who sent you?" I questioned. My former opponent laughed.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that quite yet." He answered. I shook him in response.

"Don't screw with me. I want to know who-…" I stopped short as his hood fell off as a result of my violently shaking him. I silently gasped as I saw his face for the first time. Long light brown hair and brown eyes with a pair of spectacles rested on his nose.

This… was Shuji Ikutsuki. I released him and back away in surprise.

"Ikutsuki?! How the hell are you here? You should be dead!" I demanded. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"So it's true then… you _do_ know who I am." He said with an almost insane grin on his face. "It's true that I should be dead. But…"

"But what?" I pushed.

"You really are insistent on getting the truth out of me, aren't you?" Ikutsuki asked in annoyance. "Well, if you simply have to know; I was given a second chance at life by the gods themselves. In fact, one of them in particular chose me to come here to this world and remove you, his greatest threat, from the equation."

"His greatest threat…?" I repeated to myself. "Who was it?"

"**That would be me."** Said an echoing voice that seemed to come from every direction at once. Ikutsuki's smile seemed to vanish upon hearing the voice. **"And I must say, I'm quite disappointed, Ikutsuki."**

"M-Master Saturnus!" Ikutsuki said. "I-I'm sorry! He was stronger than I thought!"

Wait, Saturnus? Wasn't he…

"Please! Have mercy!" Ikutsuki begged.

"**Hmm… It seems I placed my faith in the wrong thing…"** Saturnus said. **"I'll have to do this myself, then."** Right before my eyes, I saw Ikutsuki dissolving into black husks that faded into nothingness after a few seconds. I heard him scream, but it soon faded away. I internally shuddered at the sight.

"What did you do to him?" I asked, still trying to get that image out of my head.

"**I simply returned him to the realm of the dead."** Saturnus replied casually. **"He was unable to fulfill the task I had given him, and he paid the price for it."**

"Whatever the hell you're planning, I'll put a stop to it!" I yelled.

"**Given your literal and figurative position, I wouldn't be so confident."** Saturnus replied. I was about to ask him what he meant when I heard a sound more disturbing that Ikutsuki's ultimate fate mere moments ago.

The rattling of chains.

With that sound came a chill down my spine unlike any other. And somewhere, deep inside my mind, I knew what was coming.

Death, something that all humans will eventually meet.

"**Haven't you figured it out yet, boy? This whole time, you've been inside a ****Closed Space****."** Saturnus explained. **"A portion of this dimension that has been distorted, and now lies in between another dimension. These areas cannot be perceived by just anyone. Only those with exceptional spiritual power can hone their senses to detect them."**

Come to think of it, I did have this weird feeling ever since I had given chase to Ikutsuki. It had felt like something was off about the area, but I'd just casually set it aside. Now I know why I felt that way.

"**I called him here to take care of you properly. I would suggest that you run. Otherwise Death will find you, and Death will **_**claim**_** you."** Saturnus said with a chuckle. And with that, I could somehow tell that his presence had vanished.

I was now alone, with Death trying to hunt me down.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

_**Alright, minor cliffhanger, but now we're starting to learn who the real villain is here. So next chapter, Zero's going to try and run from you-know-who, for those of you who've played Persona 3 or 4.**_

**FES Dictionary: **

**Closed Space –** A term I came up with (and totally didn't borrow from the _Haruhi Suzumiya_ series and slightly modify). A portion of space within a dimension that is connected to a second dimension. Such areas are unstable, and may exist indefinitely.

**Featured Cards:**

_{Cards were created by me. first 2 cards will be seen very scarcely as plot device cards.}_

**_Judgment Soul  
_****_LV 5  
_****_LIGHT  
_****_Psychic/Tuner  
_****_ATK 0 / DEF 0  
_**Effect – This card can be Special Summoned by paying 500 Life Points. This card cannot be used as Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of "Ultimate Judgment Persona – Messiah".

**_Ultimate Judgment Persona – Messiah  
_****_LV 8  
_****_LIGHT  
_****_Psychic/Synchro/Effect  
_****_ATK 3000 / DEF 2600  
_****_Synchro Materials – "Judgment Soul" + "Persona of The Fool – Orpheus"  
_**Effect – Once per turn: You can add 1 "Persona Skill: Salvation" or "Magic Skill Up" from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. When you would receive damage (either through Battle or card effect): You can discard 1 card from your hand; activate the following effects appropriately depending on the damage you would take:  
● Battle Damage: Reduce the damage from that Battle to 0.  
● Effect Damage: Negate that card's effect until the End Phase.

_**Dark Tuner – Doom Herald  
LV 9  
DARK  
Fiend/Dark Tuner  
ATK 0 / DEF 0**_  
Effect – This card cannot be used as Dark Synchro Material, except for the Dark Synchro Summon of "Nyx, Goddess of The Night".

_**Nyx, Goddess of The Night  
LV -8  
DARK  
Fiend/Dark Synchro/Effect  
ATK 2800 / DEF 3000  
Dark Synchro Materials – "Dark Tuner Doom Herald" + 1 non-Tuner Fiend-Type Monster**_  
Effect – When this card is Dark Synchro Summoned: You can destroy 1 Monster your opponent controls and inflict damage equal to half the original ATK of the destroyed Monster. When this card destroys an opponent's Monster by Battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed Monster's original DEF. This card cannot be destroyed by Battle or card effects. Once during either player's Battle Phase: If you would take Battle Damage; you can reduce the damage to 0 and inflict the same amount to your opponent instead.

_**And for the record, I know that Steelswarm Cell's effect prevents it from being used as Synchro Material, but I'm not 100% certain if a Dark Synchro is the same as a normal Synchro, since they do have different Summoning criteria. So if I messed up with that, *shrug* then I messed up I guess.**_


	15. Reapers and Revelations

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 14: Reapers and Revelations—**_

_**Alright, before we see the conclusion of Zero's little predicament, I want to give you guys a little word of warning:**_

_**This chapter will contain one of VERY FEW scenes where there's more than just blood mentioned. If you don't like stuff like that, then I'd advise to either tread carefully through here, or just don't read it at all.**_

_**That being said, I will most likely change the rating of this story once this chapter is posted because of that one scene.**_

_**Well, now that that's out in the open, let's see how Zero gets out of this one, shall we?**_

_{Previously…}_

"**Hmm… It seems I placed my faith in the wrong thing…"** Saturnus said. **"I'll have to do this myself, then."** Right before my eyes, I saw Ikutsuki dissolving into black husks that faded into nothingness after a few seconds. I heard him scream, but it soon faded away. I internally shuddered at the sight.

"What did you do to him?" I asked, still trying to get that image out of my head.

"**I simply returned him to the realm of the dead."** Saturnus replied casually. **"He was unable to fulfill the task I had given him, and he paid the price for it."**

"Whatever the hell you're planning, I'll put a stop to it!" I yelled.

"**Given your literal and figurative position, I wouldn't be so confident."** Saturnus replied. I was about to ask him what he meant when I heard a sound more disturbing that Ikutsuki's ultimate fate mere moments ago.

The rattling of chains.

With that sound came a chill down my spine unlike any other. And somewhere, deep inside my mind, I knew what was coming.

Death, something that all humans will eventually meet.

"**Haven't you figured it out yet, boy? This whole time, you've been inside a Closed Space."** Saturnus explained. **"A portion of this dimension that has been distorted, and now lies in between another dimension. These areas cannot be perceived by just anyone. Only those with exceptional spiritual power can hone their senses to detect them."**

Come to think of it, I did have this weird feeling ever since I had given chase to Ikutsuki. It had felt like something was off about the area, but I'd just casually set it aside. Now I know why I felt that way.

"**I called him here to take care of you properly. I would suggest that you run. Otherwise Death will find you, and Death will **_**claim**_** you."** Saturnus said with a chuckle. And with that, I could somehow tell that his presence had vanished.

I was now alone, with Death trying to hunt me down.

_{And now for the conclusion…}_

**{BGM – Unavoidable Battle.}**

I didn't think twice about what to do next. I bolted down the deserted street, my heart rapidly thumping at regular intervals.

I've been scared of the dark.

I've been afraid of monsters in the closet.

But this dwarfs those without contest. After all, I'm being hunted by Death itself.

For the second time in my life, I was experiencing _true_ fear.

I turned into an alleyway in an attempt to find a boundary to this 'Closed Space', and immediately regretted it. Standing in front of me was a terrifying creature. It looked like a human body without any legs, hovering a few inches off the ground as an alternative. It wore a tattered and bloodstained coat. It had two pale hands that gripped a pair of long-barreled revolvers in each. Its' head was mostly wrapped in bloodstained bandaging, with only a single, ominous yellow eye uncovered to stare right at me. A pair of chains were wrapped across the entity's chest, forming a cross.

The embodiment of death itself.

The Reaper.

The Reaper raised one of its' revolvers and aimed it straight at me.

"**Agidyne…!"** its bellowing voice carried an eerie echo with it. I managed to get my legs to move just in time to jump back from a stream of white-hot flames being shot at me. I ran out of the alley just as a second stream was fired at me. I picked up speed as I could hear the rattling of chains behind me growing louder. I didn't dare look back, nor did the thought of fighting that thing cross my mind. I could feel the power oozing off of it. I knew that if I chose to fight, I wouldn't stand a chance.

'_Man, this is bad.'_ I thought. _'If I can't find a way out of here, I'm done for!'_

"**Mudoon…!"** The Reaper bellowed. I heard a dull 'fwoosh' like the sound of flames. Crap crap crap crap! Switch off of Percival!

_**SMASH!**_

Okay… Okay… Pixie works... At the very least I have a higher chance of surviving Mudoon. I was soon surrounded by black flames, but managed to run out unscathed.

Sometimes I love the fact that Mudoon has low odds of hitting.

I switched back to Percival and cast Sukukaja on myself in an attempt to make myself faster. I ducked into another alleyway and ran out the other end.

Geez, how big _is_ this Closed Space?

I could feel power being concentrated on one point, and didn't like it. I quickly glanced behind me to see a sphere of violet-colored energy sitting on the tip of the Reaper's left revolver.

Oh crap that's a Megidola!

Wait...

Oh triple crap! That's a Megidolaon!

The Reaper fired the blast straight at me. I sweated bullets as I just BARELY managed to round a corner as the Almighty attack hit a building. And judging from the sound and power of the explosion that threw me forward, It'd be more correct if I were saying _former_ building.

"Ziodyne…!" The Reaper boomed. About two seconds later a huge lightning bolt shocked the living hell out of me. I slowly got up and picked up more speed after a few seconds of running. I shook off the initial effects of the attack and kept running.

I love adrenaline.

I switched back to Pixie for a few quick Dia's and kept going, the rattling of chains reminding me constantly that I couldn't afford to slow down. I kept running and running, weaving between buildings at every opportunity to try and shake the embodiment of death that was chasing me.

"Vorpal Blade…!" The Reaper's voice bellowed. I gulped at the sound of it. I tried running faster, but just as I turned a corner, I felt a horribly sharp pain in my right arm. I screamed in pain and stumbled before falling onto the ground. I slowly pushed myself up and realized something.

I couldn't feel my arm.

I couldn't move my arm.

I couldn't see my arm.

I looked towards my shoulder and saw liquid dripping from the shredded remains of the sleeve. I also knew what the crimson coloring of the liquid meant.

Oh shit.

I struggled to get up, but without a right arm, I had no proper balance. Once I managed to stand, I bolted away from the approaching Reaper, despite the lack of balance I now had. Suddenly, I felt a strange rush and the air rippled. As this feeling passed, I slowed down and hesitantly looked behind me. The Reaper was nowhere to be seen, and everything felt peaceful. I summoned Himiko to be absolutely certain, and she showed that the area was clear. I dismissed her and sighed before looking at the place that my arm used to be.

And then I blacked out from all the pain as it caught up with me, and the adrenaline wore off.

**(BGM End)**

**{=+=}**

I snapped my eyes open and bolted upright. Looking around, I saw Juno kneeling next to me. We were inside a small alley, and it looked like the sun was just starting to rise, judging from the natural lighting.

"Thank God you're awake!" Juno said worriedly.

"Juno…?" I asked as things started dawning on me. "How'd you…?"

"How'd I find you?" she asked. "I woke up and I didn't see you around anywhere. And when I went out looking, I sensed you nearby, and found you without…" I immediately looked at my right shoulder, and  
almost cried when I saw an arm connected to said shoulder.

"Did you fix it?" I asked. Juno nodded.

"I was able to give you a new one, but there might be some… side effects." She explained hesitantly. I don't like the sound of that.

"What kind of 'side effects'?" I asked.

"I… I don't know exactly, but I had to put a Seal of Binding on your arm so your body would accept it. That… might have some sort of effect on you physically and spiritually." Juno answered.

Oh joy. So I have an arm that came from who-knows-where, and I might possibly have to deal with some crazy side effects.

Yep, this day just keeps getting better and better.

I stood up with Juno's help, and we walked out of the alley. I told her to just go back to Blister's place, and that I'd be back later. When the goddess questioned why, Io simply said I needed to clear my head. And boy is that true.

I set off in a different direction than Juno. I walked without a destination in kind. Thoughts swimming in my head about what I just went through.

I just lost an arm today.

I let my enemy get the tactical advantage over me.

I just _narrowly_ escaped Death.

I didn't take any of this seriously up to this point.

That was stupid.

"Where did my life go wrong…" I mumbled. After a few minutes, I summoned Himiko again to find my way back. Once I actually got back, I saw Yusei heading towards the place too.

"Zero." Yusei greeted. "You get your guy?"

"Yeah." I replied, putting on my innocent and uninformed act. "He was an interesting one. He used some kind of Dark Tuner and Dark Synchro Monster when I Dueled him." Yusei looked surprised.

"You too then?" he asked in surprise. I nodded. After that, we just walked inside without another word, we didn't need to tell each other anything else, because we'd been through the same tuff.

Except Yusei didn't lose his right arm while running from Death itself.

We both only got about a few hours of sleep.

That afternoon, Yusei had informed the others of our late-night excursion. And after that, Yusei was on a laptop doing a search for spider symbols and meanings for the number twelve while Tanner, Yanagi, the twins, Juno, Metis, and I were relaxing. I looked at my new right arm. I did some basic motions with it, and rotated it at the shoulder. It moved, felt, and looked like a normal arm, but it just didn't feel right. It didn't feel like _my _arm.

"How's it going?" Tanner asked while handing Yusei and I both a cup of coffee.

"Not good. My search for spider symbols isn't showing any solid leads." Yusei said. "And I can't find anything solid about what the number twelve could mean."

"I can tell you exactly where you can get answers for the latter." I informed after taking a sip of coffee.

Mmm… coffee…

"What's that?" Yusei asked.

"Look up a man named Carl Jung." I said. "You'll get some info on that number marking, and it'll help you better understand what I explained yesterday." Yusei typed something on the laptop, and soon began staring at the screen, as if reading something.

"Says here that Carl Jung was some sort of psychotherapist from Sweden." Yusei paraphrased before turning the screen to show us the article.

"It also says he developed numerous ideas and theories." Yusei continued. "To name a few listed here, he developed the idea of the 'Fool's Journey', archetypes, and the theory of Personas."

"Precisely." I said. "Like I said before, Personas are the manifestations of one's personality. According to Jung, everyone has one."

"And what about that Fool's Journey Yusei mentioned?" Tanner asked.

"Ever seen a tarot deck?" I asked. "Take out the Major Arcana from a tarot deck, and they tell a story in the order that they're numbered. From zero to twenty-one. The Fool to The World." Yusei nodded.

"That guy had a twelve on his hand, right?" he asked me.

"Yep, so that means his Arcana was the Hanged Man." I stated. "And I have a zero, which makes me a Fool. In other words, I'm figuratively empty."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, sonny." Yanagi said.

"He means that his Arcana is The Fool." Tanner corrected.

"That's why I go by Zero, cuz that's what I'm branded with; a mark that represents my emptiness." I added.

"Any ideas of what the spider symbol means?" Yanagi asked. I shook my head, deciding to let them find out for themselves.

"Sorry gramps, that's about as far as my knowledge goes." I said. "Then again… The only thing I can think of involving a spider glyph would be the Nazca Lines, but I doubt those are connected…" Hehe… I love tossing subtle hints here and there…

"I know you'll find a way to save the Satellite Yusei." Yanagi said.

"Count on it. But I still need to find some answers. And I can think of only one person who has them. I need to talk with Goodwin." Yusei replied.

"But you can't trust Goodwin!" Yanagi protested.

"Yeah. You forget that he's the one who locked you up. He's not your friend." Tanner added.

"But at the same time, who else would we ask?" I countered. "Goodwin started the Fortune Cup to gather the Signers together. So obviously he knows his stuff. And there isn't exactly anyone else we can get the full details from." Except me, but I didn't mention that part.

"You're leaving?" Luna asked. The rest of us turned toward the twins. "But it's dangerous out there."

"Please don't go." Leo pleaded.

"We _have_ to. The people in Satellite are in trouble and we have to help them somehow." Yusei said.

"Stay here. It's much safer in the city. Who knows what's out there and what if it's true that some big spider is going to destroy the Satellite?" Leo insisted.

"Please don't leave." Luna pleaded. I walked over to the twins and knelt to their level while placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

"I know you guys don't want Yusei to get hurt, but if we don't do something, then who knows what could happen?" I said calmly. "And besides, Yusei's a tough guy, he can handle anything that gets tossed at him."

"Not to mention that I have some backup." Yusei cut in.

"You mean like a bodyguard?" Luna asked. Just then, sirens blared just outisde Blister's hideout. We looked outside to see three Sector Security police cars and a Patrol Runner at the front with Trudge at the front.

"Alright Yusei, I got your message, so get your deck and come out already! I'm not gonna wait all day now just because we're teaming up temporarily, you got that?"Trudge yelled through the megaphone.

"Trudge is your protection?" Tanner asked.

"Yep. So we better consider him a good guy now, if he's gonna' take me to Goodwin safely." Yusei replied. I walked up to the Synchro Duelist and offered my fist, which he bumped.

"Watch yourself out there Yusei." I said. The Satellite nodded. After saying his goodbyes to the others, Yusei walked outside, and a minute or so later, the whirring sound of the Patrol Runner and engines of the cars faded into the distance.

"Well, what now?" Tanner wondered aloud. "What should we do now while Yusei's off in the Satellite?"

"Hmm…" I thought it over. "Leo, Luna, you guys live in Tops right?" The twins nodded. "Then how about we move our base over to Tops? At the very least, it'll be an upgrade from this."

"Yeah!" Leo cheered. "It'll be like a giant sleepover!" He kept going on excitedly. I chuckled to myself, being reminded of myself at his age.

"Sounds like a plan." Tanner said. "You cool with it Luna?" The female twin nodded and smiled.

"Then it's settled let's get goin'." Yanagi said. As Tanner grabbed the laptop off the table, and he and the others headed towards the exit, I called back to them.

"You guys go on ahead, I need to talk with Metis alone. We'll meet up with you again later." I said, looking towards Metis and hoping she'd get the message. She nodded and the others seemed to understand before heading outside. Once the coast was clear, I turned to Juno, who'd been relatively quiet for some time. I'd filled her in on my encounter with the Reaper and Ikutsuki, but not Saturnus, and she's been pretty non-talkative since then.

"You wanted to talk with _me_, right?" She asked, knowing my true intention of staying behind.

"Yep, and I thought that Metis should be in on this too." I replied, becoming more sly with my words. "So, last night I met a few interesting people. Wanna' take a guess at one of them?" Juno seemed confused by this and didn't say anything. "I'll give you a hint; it's somebody you know. Someone you're _very_ close to, might I add. You might even say he's like a _father_ to you." Juno's eyes widened at that last statement, and the nail seemed to hit the head.

"Wait… did you meet my father?" Juno asked.

"Bingo." I answered, now beginning to be a bit more… serious, I suppose. "He said some interesting things; the usual stuff about how I should be good to his daughter. Oh, and I found out that he apparently has something planned, and I have a feeling that it doesn't involve giving me his blessing. Care to comment?" Juno looked hesitant, but she finally spoke up.

"I… I didn't think you'd find out so soon." She said. "I planned to tell you myself, honestly. But I didn't expect him to get to you first…"

"so, what's this big plan of his?" I asked. "I assume you know?"

"Kind of…" she replied. "I should probably start from the beginning… Five millennia ago, The Fall almost happened."

"Are you serious?" I asked in surprise. The goddess nodded.

"However, it was stopped by a group of Humans that you might know as the Original Signers." Juno continued. "They sealed away the six Demons that would bring about The Fall in the earth."

'_So the original battle between the Signers and _them_ almost triggered The Fall?'_ I thought. _'Things are getting more interesting…'_

"I'm not sure why, but something in my father changed on that day." Juno continued. "He started believing that everything should have been erased by The Fall so that we could start over. He thought that the current Humans were too weak because they wanted The Fall to happen. Ever since then, he's been someone different from the father I knew, and I decided to try and figure out what happened. That's why I came to you for help, because I could sense that you had exceptional power inside of you, and I thought that you could help me stop my father."

I didn't say anything, trying to absorb all that new info.

"I understand if you don't want to help me now. I kept the truth hidden from you, and it cost you your arm." Juno said as her head lowered.

…

"I'll keep going."

"Huh?" Juno looked up at me.

"I said I'll keep going." I answered. "I know that there's a reason I have this power, and I want to use it in any way I can to prevent another Fall." Juno smiled. "And besides, that bastard owes me for the arm that got chopped off." The goddess laughed and Metis gave what I think was a faint smile.

"So, you'll keep fighting?" Juno asked. I nodded.

"F.E.S doesn't give up, at least not on my watch." I said.

_**CRASH!**_

Oh hey. I was wondering where you went.

"_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooses to create Personae of the Fool Arcana..."_ Mr. Spooky Voice recited.

_**CRASH!**_

Oh sure, _now_ I start getting these again in bulk!

"_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooses to create Personae of the Lovers Arcana..."_ Mr. Spooky Voice added.

…

Huh? No rank-up for Metis?

Damn, she's gonna be a tough cookie…

After all that, the three of us headed towards my hideout on Reiraku Byakuya. Juno just straight up FLEW there, while Metis rode behind me on my Runner.

Can I has flight? Plz?

Once we got back to my hideout, I grabbed my laptop that Blister had set me up with along with the rest of the tech equipment, and brought it with me to Leo and Luna's place in Tops. I used Himiko to find the way there, and ended up meeting up with the others just as they arrived as well. Once we got inside, we got situated and soon put the twins to bed. The rest of us just kind of did our own thing.

I went to bed after a while, plans already forming in my head for the days to come.

_**Daaaaayyyyyuuuummmmm!**_

_**Okay, so that just happened. Now Zero knows the extent of the dangers of what he's getting himself into. And now we know who the big villain is for the story.**_

_**Now, as for Zero losing his arm and getting a new one. I know that the same thing happened in Samjaz's 'Persona 3: Fairly English Story' and Casey W's 'Persona 4: Face Every Shadow'. Truth be told, I got the idea to actually do this from those stories. HOWEVER, I'm not going to execute it the exact same way. It'll still be something of a plot device, just not to the extent that SamJaz and Casey W did it. Though if you've read Face Every Shadow, then you might already know what'll happen to Zero in the near future (seems hypocritical I know, but you'll get what I mean in a few chapters).**_

_**And yep, we gots Social Links again!**_

_**On that note; I want to know your opinions on something:**_

_**Do you want me to do a story after this one set in between the first and second seasons where Zero does the rest of the Social Links (excluding Judgement)? It'll be more light-hearted than this, and will consist of mostly one-shot chapters for each Social Link. I personally think it'd be a good idea to give you guys something to gnaw on once this finishes up and I get to work on season 2 (and yes, there **_**will **_**be a season 2).**_

_**Well, with that out of the way, I guess I'm out until the next chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh! FES!**_


	16. Arcadia Falls

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! FES: The Beginning**_

—_**Chapter 15: Arcadia Falls—**_

The next morning, we were all sitting around in the twins' living room. Tanner was on his laptop doing who-knows-what, Yanagi and the twins were talking, with Yanagi telling them about some of his 'adventures', and I sat in a chair by the window with Metis and Juno. I had my laptop with me, Microsoft Word opened up on it. I had made a file named 'Notes' to jot down what I know so far. I began typing everything out in a typical school notes style.

**-Juno = A goddess who took me to this world to put a stop to her father, Saturnus, from succeeding in his plan.-**

**-Plan as of late is unknown.-**

**-Given the Wild Card and access to the Velvet Room in order to help Juno combat Saturnus.-**

**-Saturnus' plan most likely involves the Closed Spaces that are appearing around the city.**

**-Closed Space = A portion of time and space that has been warped and is caught in between this dimension and another dimension of unknown origin. Only beings with exceptional power can experience them, but it takes a godly level of power to be able to see where their boundaries are placed.-**

**-These areas have been encountered three times so far. Shadows appear to roam around in these areas most of the time.-**

**-Metis = The Nth Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon sent to this dimension by an unknown individual to assist me in combating Saturnus and the Shadows.-**

**-Shadows have shown to be more sentient than I originally thought. They appear to have the ability to influence the actions and behavior of their host to a certain extent. If their host is in a certain emotional state, they can separate from the host and proceed to kill them.-**

**-The Reaper = The manifestation of Death itself. Nature is similar to a Shadow, but is not one at the same time. First encounter resulted in the loss of my right arm.-**

**-Juno gave me a new arm, but said that there might be some sort of side effects.-**

**-Side effects = (To be added later)-**

I stopped typing when I'd put down everything I know as of late and saved the file. I closed the laptop and stared out the window.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Juno asked. I thought it over and shrugged.

_-Only one thing _to_ do.-_ I replied.

"Everyone, we're headed to the Arcadia Movement's HQ!" I spoke up. Everyone looked towards me in surprise.

"That sure was out of the blue." Tanner commented. "Either way, what makes you think we should head there?"

"If we're going to fight this new threat on even grounds, we'll need all the Signers we can get." I explained. Tanner nodded.

"Oh. I get it. Akiza's with that group." He mused in understanding. "But it'll be hard to get her to defect from them, don't ya think?"

"I don't know for sure. When I Dueled her a few days ago, I managed to break through the surface." I said. "If anything, she's considering what I said to her. And besides, she has a Persona like me."

"You serious?" Leo asked. "So there's other people with superpowers like you?"

I chuckled. "I wouldn't really call them 'superpowers', but I never said I was the only one." I replied. "I asked Akiza to consider joining me in my cause anyways, so it'd be nice to see if she's found her answer."

"But wait a minute there, isn't the Arcadia Movement full of people with psychic powers like Akiza's?" Yanagi asked worriedly. "Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"Don't worry gramps, you got me to put them in their place." I said. Now normally, I'd be against using a Persona to harm non-Persona-Users, but Yanagi brings up a good point; there are plenty of other Psychic Duelists in that building, and they're stronger than Akiza, most likely, AND they can actually control that power. So if it comes down to it, I may have to use my power to protect the others.

"Well alright then." Tanner said. "We'll head there later tonight. That cool with everyone?" we all nodded.

**{=+=}**

We made our way to the Arcadia Movement building around sundown. I lied and said I knew the way, but little did they know that I was making subtle use of Himiko to show me where to go. Once we'd arrived, we got blocked by a few guys that I assumed were Sayer's cronies.

"Hold it! Who are you and what do you want here?" Cronie #1 asked. I stepped forward and put on a professional demeanor.

"Good evening. We're here to see Akiza Izinski, we need to talk to her about a few things." I explained. "Would you mind letting us through?" Cronie #2 took out a phone and dialed up a number on it.

"Sir, we have a small group who says they want to see Akiza." He said into the phone. "Hm? It's some old geezer, the former pro Bolt Tanner, a couple of kids, some teenage girl, and that Zero guy from the Fortune Cup… " After a second, the cronie hung up and gave a nod. "Looks like you guys are legit." He and his buddy stepped aside to let us through. Another cronie met us inside the lobby area and motioned for us to follow him. He led us up a good number of floors via elevator, and when he stopped at the end of a hallway, he opened the door to reveal a small room with a lengthy table, almost like a meeting room. Sayer was inside waiting for us, sitting at the head of the table with a few of his other lackeys sitting on either side of him.

_(Fifteen)_

Devil Arcana... That doesn't surprise me.

"So it's come to my attention that you want to see Akiza, is that right?" Sayer began the conversation. "Unfortunately, she's a bit busy right now. What was it you wanted to talk with her about anyways?"

"Well, you see, since Akiza has a dragon mark, she's like a superhero. And since Luna and I are too, we need her help so we can help Yusei save the city!" Leo explained. Sayer chuckled.

"Your friend certainly has in interesting way of putting things." Sayer said.

"We know." I added.

"Though… it _does_ make sense." Sayer continued in partial thought. "Lately, I've been catching wind of some strange occurrences… Very well. We'll provide assistance where we can." Everyone looked mildly surprised, except for me.

"Seriously?" Leo asked hopefully.

"Why not? The Arcadia Movement was formed for good intentions. If any of the Psychics here, especially Akiza, can be of any help, then I'm more than willing to give you my cooperation." Sayer answered.

"YES!" Leo cheered.

"Now, if you'll excuse me…" Sayer said as he rose from his seat at the head of the table. "I'll go and send for Akiza." He left the room without another word.

…

…

_**CRASH!**_

"That went pretty well." Yanagi said to break the silence.

"Yeah, but don't you think it went a little _too_ well?" I asked.

"I dunno'. He seemed to buy it…" Tanner said before pausing. "Hey, does something smell funny to you guys?" Leo yawned.

"Man, why am I so tired?" he asked. The penny dropped and I immediately sprang into action.

"Yeah, I'm sleepy too…" Luna said.

"Now that ya' mention it…" Yanagi added.

"Dammit! He tricked us!" I yelled. "He's filling the room with sleeping gas! Tanner! Yanagi! Shield the twins!"

"What are… you planning to do?" Tanner asked, evidently starting to succumb to the effects of the gas.

"Just do it!" I said. Tanner and Yanagi complied without further questions, huddling over the twins. I willed my power to activate, creating a yellowish-orange marking on my forearm; a glowing 'I'. "Jiraiya!"

I summoned a strange frog-like creature wearing a brown disco suit and a red scarf around its' neck in a flash of orange light. A golden V-shaped armor plate was attached to his chest, while gold ninja stars seemed to take the place of his eyes. A pair of the same ninja stars was also attached to his hands.

"Sonic Punch!" Jiraiya's fist gave off a whitish-blue glow as he threw a punch at the nearby wall, which blew a decently-sized hole in it that led to the outside world. I struggled to fight the effects of the gas and stay awake as I continued. "Magaru!" In an instant, a small-scale whirlwind had kicked up inside the room, tossing around the table and chairs, but at the same time stirring the air around to get rid of the gas. And thanks to that hole I made, the air from outside would also get added to this, further diluting the gas.

What? Sometimes collateral damage is necessary.

I looked over at the others and saw that they were still conscious, and also looking at me in astonishment. I also didn't feel drowsy anymore, so that problem was solved. I dismissed Jiraiya and gave a thumbs-up sign.

"What the… What was that?" Tanner asked in surprise.

"One of my Personas; Jiraiya of the Magician Arcana." I answered. "I used a move called Sonic Punch to blow that hole in the wall over there, and then used a spell called Magaru to stir around the air and dilute the gas."

"That was so cool Zero!" Leo said excitedly. "You really are like a superhero!" Just then, Sayer and his goons came walking into the room and gasped when he saw that we were still conscious.

"How are you still awake?!" he demanded.

"That was a pretty dirty tricked you pulled Sayer." I said. I smirked, ran forward, and prepped a punch for his face, when…

"Don't even think about it!" Sayer said as he thrust his palm towards me, and I was instantly blasted back by an unseen force.

STUPID! He has psychic powers, you idiot! Did it ever occur to you that he'd have telekinesis too?

*sigh*

I got up again and switched to Percival, casting Tarukaja and Sukukaja on myself to buff my speed and power. I rushed towards the psychic again, this time more confident that I could hit him. Suddenly, I got blasted back again, hitting the wall in the process.

Ugh! That hurt!

Wait a minute…

That felt like… Wind? No, not wind, something similar. I slowly stood up again and ran at Sayer. This time however, I caught sight of a slight movement in his lips.

Zanma. No… Mazanma!

Shit.

This time, instead of me just getting hit, everyone was thrown back into the wall. I blacked out this time, not being able to take the Force spells anymore.

**{=+=}**

I woke up again with Juno and Metis staring down at me. I slowly sat up and rubbed the back of my head where I'd taken three consecutive blows. My head still kind of hurt from the Fortune Cup incident, so this wasn't exactly pleasant. Juno handed me a small bottle of white powder.

… This isn't what I think it is, is it?

Turns out that this stuff is Medical Powder. All I had to do was just take some and rub it where I needed to, and it would get healed in seconds. I rubbed my head with the white powder, and I found that my head no longer hurt.

Sweet.

I looked around and saw that the others were missing.

"Hey, where'd the others go?" I asked.

"That Sayer guy and his goons took them away. They almost got you too, but Metis drove them back." Juno explained. I looked towards the door and saw the two goons that had been with Sayer were now lying on the floor unconscious, badly beaten and bruised.

Good job, Metis.

"Unfortunately, Sayer managed to escape." Metis added. "Are we going to pursue him?" I thought it over as I stood up.

"Yeah, he knows where Akiza is, so we have little to no other choice." I replied. I summoned Himiko to get an idea of where he was, and found that Akiza was with him. I nodded to myself and switched to Omoikane. With that, we ran into the hallway, but immediately met resistance as a pair of Psychics were blocking our path.

"Hey! Stop right there!" one of them said. I summoned Omoikane and cast Mazio to shock them with just enough power to temporarily incapacitate them. We ran through the hallway again, with me leading the charge. I kept up my Omoikane strategy until we got to the location of Akiza and Sayer, which took a while, because I'm fairly certain Sayer had told everyone in this bloody building to keep me from getting to him. I burst through the doors in front of us to find a small observation room, where Akiza and Luna sat side-by-side watching a Duel in a much larger chamber. I managed to get their attention though.

"Zero!" Luna acknowledged as I walked up to the two girls.

"Luna, you alright?" I asked. "Where's your brother?" Luna pointed down to the Dueling field, where I saw Leo Dueling Sayer. Something else of note was that the boy had a few devices hooked up to him. On Leo's field was a yellow-colored mechanical dragon with a blue scooper for a right hand, and a power drill for a left hand. And on Sayer's field was a demonic-looking dragon with a mixture of green, gold, and white coloring. I recognized these as **Power Tool Dragon** and **Thought Ruler Archfiend** respectively. Sayer then activated a Trap Card called **Battle Teleportation**, causing his dragon to vanish and reappear in front of Leo in the blink of an eye. It then unleashed a blast of dark power from its' mouth, causing Leo's Life Points to deplete, according to the counter inside the observation room. Leo fell unconscious, no doubt in a lot of pain.

_**Sayer LP: 600**_

_**Leo LP: 0**_

"Leo! Leo!" Luna began yelling while banging on the glass of the small room. I clenched my fists.

"What the hell!" I turned on Akiza. "What was that about?"

"It was a test." Akiza replied. "It was to see if he had Psychic powers."

"He's just a kid! You think putting a kid his age through something like that is a 'test'?! What just happened was going too far!" I said angrily. I know that this wasn't Akiza's fault, but she's associated with the guy who came up with this to begin with. As I looked down at the field, Leo was being carried off on a small gurney. Luna ran out of the room to follow them.

"Trust me when I say that it wasn't my idea!" Akiza said back. "It was Sayer's idea!"

"Grr… I thought as much…" I growled as I calmed down. "Whatever… The reason I'm here is because I've been looking for you."

"Me?" Akiza asked.

"Yeah, did you make your decision yet?" I asked. Akiza looked at me for a second before standing up. She motioned for me to follow her. I did so and she led me up a couple of floors and to the door of another room. Walking in, I could tell that it was Akiza's room. For one thing, it looked like a bedroom, and for another, it was decorated in a way that suited the Plant Duelist.

"We can talk privately here." Akiza explained. I nodded.

"Alright, before anything else, I want you to summon your Persona." I said. The Plant duelist looked uncertain as she closed her eyes. A moment later, a red light appeared on her right arm and took the form of an 'XI'. Then, Akiza's Persona, Otohime appeared behind her. It then vanished a second later. "Okay then… a decent amount of control already…"

"What was that for?" Akiza asked.

"Just assessing how well you can control that thing." I replied. "Now, did you make your decision? Will you fight with me?" Akiza looked to the side, a sign that she was still unsure, if at least a bit.

"I…" she said.

"If you haven't found your answer yet, then I can't rush you." I said. "However… I should be fair and tell you something else that I imagine will influence your choice." I lifted the right sleeve of my shirt and showed Akiza my bare arm. "See my arm?"

"Yes." Akiza replied. I shook my head.

"That was a trick question. This isn't _my_ arm." I said. Akiza gasped and held her hand up to her mouth. She stepped back slightly, most likely out of the sheer surprise of what I just said.

"You mean…?" she began. I nodded.

"I learned firsthand yesterday that this is more dangerous than I thought." I explained. "If you choose to fight, then you should know how much risk is involved. But don't let that drive you away from it either. If you genuinely want to help me save the city, don't let the potential risks scare you." That was all I said before I walked out without another word. Juno and Metis were there waiting for me. I began walking down the hall.

"Next step is to find Tanner and Yanagi." I Informed them.

"Do you know where they are?" Metis asked.

"Not really. Let's see…" I switched to Himiko and used her power to try and search for the other two. Luckily, they were a few floors down. The three of us rushed down a few flights of stairs and came out onto a floor that looked like all the others. Himiko led me to the end of the hallway and up to a metallic door that was locked up tight.

Heh, too easy.

"Take-Mikazuchi!" I yelled as the hulking black robot appeared behind me. He reached forward and literally ripped the door from the wall, revealing a shocked Tanner and Yanagi inside a dimly-lit metal room. I dismissed Take-Mikazuchi and walked inside. "You guys alright?" They nodded. Suddenly, the building started to tremble. Softly at first, but it started to intensify.

"W-What's going on here?" Yanagi asked worriedly.

"Wait… Is it-?" I wondered aloud before I bolted out of the small metal room. "Metis, make sure they get down to the ground safely!" I glanced back to see Metis nod in understanding, and to see Juno appearing next to me.

"What's happening?" Juno asked. "Why is the whole place shaking?"

"They're here at last." I said. "The only other thing aside from Saturnus I have to worry about… The Dark Signers." I picked up speed as I formulated a plan.

'_If I had to guess, then both of them are already here and Dueling…_' I thought. _'Not much I can do up top, so I'll have to head downstairs.'_ I turned into another hallway, only to feel a sudden rush throughout my body. I looked around and noticed that things didn't feel right.

"Closed Space?" I asked. Juno nodded. I sighed. "Great, just when I don't need one…" I was about to say more, but I suddenly got decked in the face by a Shadow that appeared out of nowhere. I reeled back a few steps before standing up straight and glaring at the enemy. To put it into words, it was basically a Hulk Hogan Shadow. Its real name, however, was Daring Gigas, according to Himiko. I got into a defensive stance, a pair of hook swords now in my hands. Juno summoned a rapier into her right hand and took her own stance. Suddenly, two more Daring Gigas' came up from behind us.

"Ugh, just great." I groaned. I was about to leap into action, when I suddenly yelled in pain and clutched my right arm, dropping my weapons in the process. I grit my teeth and concentrated on the battle at hand.

"Persona!" I yelled again as the pain intensified, almost as if reacting to my command. I looked at my right arm and saw my Mark of The Fool ignite on the back of my hand. The glow seemed stronger than normal. As the glow grew brighter, the pain in my arm grew increasingly worse, and I even started to feel a burning sensation to top it all off. I screamed as I felt muscles moving and shifting underneath my skin. I fell to the ground and almost blacked out. Then, almost as quickly as it had come, the pain started to fade. I got onto my stomach, pushed myself up and…

…

…

I think we have a problem.

I was staring at my right arm in surprise. No. Make that gaping at it in horror.

What I was seeing wasn't my arm. It was covered in grey scaly skin, with black talons tipping each of my fingers. The sleeve of my shirt was now replaced by the sleeve of a tunic. Lying next to me was a single sword, a sword that looked all too familiar.

This was _Percival's_ sword, and this was _his _arm.

I slowly picked up the blade with my right hand, noticing how light it felt. The glimmering blade also showed me a reflection of my face, revealing that my eyes had gone from crimson red to a bright yellow. And by the looks of it, I had also sprouted a pair of wings on my back that looked just like Percival's.

I… think I figured out what the side effects of that seal were…

"I… I…" I heard Juno say in alarm. I stood up and looked at her, a panicked expression on her face. "I didn't think it would be this severe… Zero…" I looked at my new arm, and at the sword I now held.

"Well, might as well make the most of it." I said as I readied the sword and charged forward at the closest Gigas. I swung the blade vertically, planning to cleave the Shadows straight down the middle, but the Shadow blocked my strike with its' arm, which surprisingly stayed intact. I acted quickly and leapt into a roll. I got behind him and slashed diagonally at his back, causing a deep cut to appear from his left shoulder blade to the lower right portion of his back. The Shadow howled in pain and tried to hit me with its fist as it turned to face me, but I ducked out of the way before it had the chance.

'_This is incredible!'_ I thought. _'I can feel so much power flowing through me right now.'_

I stepped forward and stabbed the Gigas right in the chest as it readied another punch, which had given me an opening. The Shadow howled in pain again before dissolving into black ichor that flowed onto the floor. I got an idea in my head and jumped into the air, willing my newfound wings to keep me aloft. And sure enough, they did. I flew forward and slashed my blade straight through the second Gigas, cleaving it in two before it melted into ichor as well. Suddenly, I hit my head on the ceiling, and promptly tried to land. Maybe… I should learn to fly later.

I suddenly remembered that there was still one Shadow left, and turned around to be met with a big fist to the face that sent me flying back into the wall of the hallway. I groaned as I got up and picked my sword back up. Shaking my head to clear it, I ran forward and jumped up, bringing my sword down on the Hulk Hogan Shadow. It blocked my swing like with its' other buddy, and managed to counter by swatting me to the side. I rolled as I hit the ground and managed to get on my feet quickly.

I charged forward again and swung my sword, earning another block from the Daring Gigas, but just as it was about to hit me again, I swung my sword at its' midsection while it was off guard, cleaving through it easily. The two new halves of the Hulk Hogan clone burst into black ichor that splattered on the walls, but then evaporated along with the rest of the Shadow remains. However, there was still something left in place of the Shadows; a pair of fans. I walked over to them and picked them up to examine them. I gently ran my finger along the edge of one of them and definitely felt a blade-like edge.

I put the weapons in my jacket pocket and suddenly felt intense pain throughout my body again, but this time it was more bearable. I looked at my arm and saw that it was now normal again, which told me that I had changed back to my usual self. I sighed as I saw the air ripple, indicating the vanishing of the closed space.

_-Percival has learned Wind Boost-_

Sweet.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I felt the building shaking, and remembered that I had to be somewhere else ASAP. I ran down the hallway once more and saw Juno running next to me.

'_Let's hope I'm not too late…'_

**To be continued…**


End file.
